The first fight of Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 42 was one of the wildest in the show’s history.
Lightweight UFC hopefuls Genaro Valdez and Patrik White thew caution to the wind, creating an incredible fight filled with wild action at the UFC Apex.
Before the bout started, the fight was already unique as White (9-2) forgot his protective cup and mouthpiece backstage, prompting him to leave the cageside preparation point to retrieve the items.
If the pre-fight blunder was any indication, something special was bound to unfold inside the cage. The action that followed certainly exceeded the wildest of expectations.
Valdez (10-0) hurt White early from strikes and locked in a deep choke attempt. However, White rallied hard in the second half of the round and did most of his damage after his mouthpiece fell out.
Check out video of the fight below (via @UFC Twitter):
No mouthguard? No problem for @PrimeTimePatrik. What. A. Round 🔥
[ #DWCS is LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/V69Ub4RC42
— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2021
Valdez returned fire as well but certainly wore the most damage as he returned to his corner bloodied. However, he would walk away the winner after pouring on the offense early in the second round, scoring a stoppage from punches just 44 seconds into the frame.
That's a perfect 🔟-0 for Genaro Valdez
[ #DWCS is LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/IzSRHXVxLe
— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2021
Valdez remained undefeated and has most likely earned a shot in the UFC with his gutsy performance in front of UFC president Dana White, who gave a standing ovation at the conclusion of the fight.
