Dana White's Contender Series 1 kicked off tonight on UFC Fight Pass, as the main event witnessed a brief slugfest between Kurt Holobaugh and Matt Bessette, which ended in a brutal first round knockout. The inaugural event also saw a heavyweight knockout from Azunna Anyanwu, and technical submission from Charles Byrd, but Holobaugh and Boston Salmon were the ones selected by Dana White to give it a go in the UFC.
Both main event fighters came out throwing heat in the pocket, with both 145’ers landing descent shots. Holobaugh began getting the better of the exchanges, wobbling Bessette multiple times, before ultimately dropping him with a torqued out right hook at the back end of a flurry.