Ronah Kavanagh knows how to make an entrance.
The British Top Team prospect was one of four prospects to earn a UFC contract during week one of Dana White’s Contender Series, and he defeated Anh Tuan Ho with punches in the first round of Tuesday’s flyweight showcase at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Kavanagh (7-0, 1-0 DWCS) froze the MMA Lab export with a brutal left hook 2 minutes, 35 seconds into the first round.
After a brief feeling-out, the two traded leg kicks and stand-up bouts. Cabana ducked a charging left hook and landed it with surgical precision midway through the first round, knocking his previously unbeaten opponent awake. Ho (6-1, 0-1 DWCS) lay motionless and tense on his stomach for several minutes before emerging from the cage.
Featherweight Jose Delgado, middleweight Mansoor Abdul-Malik and light heavyweight Bruno Lopez are set to join Cabana on the UFC roster.
MMA Lab’s Delgado took down A1 Combat Champion Ernie Juarez with a powerful knee and follow-up punch in the second round of their featherweight bout. Juarez (7-1, 0-1 DWCS) succumbed to the blows 1 minute, 25 seconds into the second round, suffering his first brutal defeat as a professional.
Delgado (8-1, 1-0 DWCS) dominated the Gracie fighter’s lineup in the first round with relentless pressure, a barrage of punches, knees to the body, constant kicks and two takedowns. Juarez fought back with a few overhand rights and hooks from both hands. Delgado was unfazed. He pushed Juarez against the fence and landed a devastating knee less than 90 seconds into the second round. The Californian went down, taking a flurry of punches from Delgado before referee Chris Tognoni arrived on the scene.
The 26-year-old Delgado has won five straight bouts, all of which have been finishes.
Meanwhile, Xtreme Couture’s Abdul-Malik took down Wesley Schultz with elbows and punches in the second round of their middleweight bout. Abdul-Malik (6-0 B-1, 1-0 DWCS) ended the bout 3:55 into the second round for his sixth round stoppage victory.
Schultz (6-2, 0-1 DWCS) fought well in the loss. He started scrambling and kept Abdul-Malik at bay for some time with a flurry of kicks. But those efforts took a toll on Schultz’s energy tank, and he eventually lost the bout midway through. Abdul-Malik powered his way into top position, fending off an armbar attempt and getting his ground-and-pound in gear. He then advanced to full mount and finished off an exhausted Schultz with a ferocious barrage of elbows and punches.
The loss ended Schultz’s three-fight winning streak. Further down the card, Lopez overcame early difficulties to knock out Spitfire Gym star Mikhail Sajinani with punches in the second round of a pair of light heavyweight bouts. Sajinani (13-3, 0-1 DWCS) checked out at 4:14 of the second round, handing him his first loss in more than two years.
Lopez (3-1, 1-1 DWCS) was taken down by an overhand right from the Georgian late in the first round but quickly recovered, wearing down his opponent with powerful leg kicks and flawless takedown defense. Sajinani was out of breath and visibly weakened at the start of the middle round. Lopez thwarted repeated takedown attempts from Sajinani, landing several elbows from close range and smashing knees to the body. A straight left to the breeze basket took Sajinani down twice and he retreated to the fence, where he was followed up by a knockout that stopped the fight.
The loss ended Sajiniani’s six-match winning streak.
Finally, Rami Hamed (13-3, 1-0 DWCS) defeated Meng Ding via unanimous decision in a three-round welterweight bout, receiving scores of 30-27, 29-27, 29-27 from the cageside referee. Ding (34-9, 0-1 DWCS) was deducted one point in the third round for multiple low blows.
