Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 4, Week 5 Full Fight Card, Date & Details
Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 4, Week 5
United States
Main Card • Final
Armenia
R3, 5:00
R3, 3:15
UFC Contract Awarded
R3, 5:00
UFC Contract Awarded
R1, 2:23
UFC Contract Awarded
R3, 5:00
Official Event Results
UFC Contract
UFC Contract
Official Contract Awards & Bonuses
UFC Promotional Contract Recipients
UFC Promotional Contracts: At the conclusion of the event, UFC President Dana White awarded official UFC contracts to Jimmy Flick, Ronnie Lawrence, and William Knight for their standout performances.
Performance Note: Standard discretionary cash bonuses ($50,000 Fight/Performance of the Night) are not distributed on Dana White’s Contender Series cards; promotional UFC contracts serve as the official post-fight awards.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 |
*Purses reflect standard Dana White’s Contender Series tier contracts regulated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), typically structured as $5,000 to show and a $5,000 win bonus. Contract winners also earn multi-fight promotional contracts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Historic Promotional Records Set
Promotional Records Established at DWCS Season 4, Week 5
Ronnie Lawrence secured 12 successful takedowns out of 17 attempts against Jose Johnson, establishing the all-time single-fight takedown record in Dana White’s Contender Series history.
Ronnie Lawrence logged an astonishing 10 minutes and 5 seconds of top control time across 15 minutes, the highest control time recorded in a 3-round DWCS bantamweight bout in 2020.
Jimmy Flick threatened with 7 official submission attempts before locking in the third-round arm-triangle choke, setting the record for most submission attempts in a DWCS flyweight contest.
Dana White awarded promotional UFC contracts to 60% of the winning fighters on the card (Jimmy Flick, Ronnie Lawrence, and William Knight), continuing Season 4’s strong signing rate.
William Knight landed 15 of 16 attempted strikes (93.8% total striking accuracy) before finishing Cody Brundage with grounded elbows and punches in just 2:23 of Round 1.
Four betting underdogs prevailed across five bouts (Baghdasaryan +118, Flick +102, Lawrence +255, and Knight +125), tying the single-card underdog win record for DWCS Season 4.
Melsik Baghdasaryan connected with 102 significant strikes over 15 minutes in his main event victory over Dennis Buzukja, setting a 2020 DWCS featherweight striking record.
William Knight became one of the rare athletes to score multiple knockout finishes on the Contender Series, having previously finished Herdem Alacabek on Season 3.
Tucker Lutz extended his professional winning streak to 10 with a dominant 30-27 sweep over Chase Gibson, setting up his unique return invitation to compete again in Week 10.
Six of the ten fighters featured on this five-bout card (Baghdasaryan, Flick, Lawrence, Knight, Brundage, and Lutz) subsequently signed with and competed inside the UFC Octagon.
The card successfully operated as the fifth consecutive closed-door event produced at the UFC APEX under state-approved health safety protocols during the 2020 pandemic.
When and where did Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 4, Week 5 take place?
Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 4, Week 5 took place on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Who won the main event between Melsik Baghdasaryan and Dennis Buzukja?
Melsik Baghdasaryan defeated Dennis Buzukja via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) after three rounds of featherweight action.
Which fighters earned UFC contracts at DWCS Season 4, Week 5?
Three fighters were officially awarded UFC contracts by Dana White: Jimmy Flick, Ronnie Lawrence, and William Knight.
How did Jimmy Flick defeat Nate Smith?
Jimmy Flick submitted Nate Smith via arm-triangle choke at 3:15 of Round 3 after attempting 7 submissions throughout the fight.
What Contender Series record did Ronnie Lawrence set against Jose Johnson?
Ronnie Lawrence completed 12 takedowns against Jose Johnson, establishing the all-time single-fight record for most takedowns in Dana White’s Contender Series history.
How did William Knight finish Cody Brundage?
William Knight scored a first-round stoppage, defeating Cody Brundage via TKO (elbows and punches) at 2:23 of Round 1.
Who won the lightweight bout between Tucker Lutz and Chase Gibson?
Tucker Lutz defeated Chase Gibson via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27), outstriking Gibson 96 to 47 in significant strikes.
Did Tucker Lutz eventually earn a UFC contract despite missing out on Week 5?
Yes. Although Dana White did not sign him after Week 5, Lutz was invited back for Week 10, where he defeated Sherrard Blackledge by unanimous decision and earned his official UFC contract.
Did Melsik Baghdasaryan or Cody Brundage eventually make it to the UFC?
Yes. Melsik Baghdasaryan was subsequently signed to the promotion and debuted in 2021, while Cody Brundage joined the UFC roster in 2021 as a short-notice replacement at UFC 266.
How did betting underdogs perform at DWCS Season 4, Week 5?
Betting underdogs had a remarkably dominant night, winning four out of the five fights on the card (Baghdasaryan +118, Flick +102, Lawrence +255, and Knight +125).
Who were the commentators and announcer for the event?
The event was called by cage-side commentators Dan Hellie and Paul Felder, with Joe Martinez serving as the cage announcer and Laura Sanko handling post-fight interviews.
What was the live gate and attendance for DWCS Season 4, Week 5?
The event had zero attendance and no live gate because it was conducted behind closed doors at the UFC APEX due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Where was Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 4, Week 5 broadcast?
In the United States, the event was broadcast exclusively live on ESPN+, starting at 8:00 PM EDT.
Were there post-fight cash bonuses awarded at this event?
No. Dana White’s Contender Series events do not award standard $50,000 Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night cash bonuses; the primary incentive and reward is a direct UFC Promotional Contract.
What are the fighter purses on Dana White’s Contender Series?
Under Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) contracts for DWCS, athletes generally receive a $5,000 show purse and an additional $5,000 win bonus, totaling $10,000 for victorious fighters.
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