The second time on Dana White’s Contender Series was the charm for Ahmad Hassanzada.
The opening bout Tuesday of DWCS 72, Hassanzada slept Dylan Mantello at the 2:41 mark of Round 3 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
The fight was highly entertaining and both men had their moments. After a strong first round by Hassanzada (12-3) that included various spinning attacks, Mantello (8-4) scored a knockdown at the start of Round 2 after a pump-up speech by coach Ray Longo (via X):
Best coach in the game pic.twitter.com/XYHUSdl2G9
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) September 18, 2024
However, it was Hassanzada who would rally and submit Mantello with a rear-naked choke midway through Round 3 (via X):
Ahmad Hassanzada gets the third round submission
Was that enough to earn him a UFC contract? #DWCS pic.twitter.com/p4W30fw0Fg
— UFC (@ufc) September 18, 2024
Afghanistan’s Hassanzada competed on DWCS in 2022 and was knocked out in the third-round of a slugfest vs. Nazim Sadykhov. After a 2-1 stretch back on the regional scene, Hassanzada got his second shot back on short notice.
Tuesday’s fight also marked the second DWCS opportunity for New York’s Mantello, who lost to Kaynan Kruschewsky in 2023.
Up-to-the-minute DWCS 72 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 72.
