Douglas da Lapa Stops Davi Cabral in Round 3 on Contender Series
Douglas da Lapa stopped Davi Cabral by knockout on Tuesday night in a middleweight bout on Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 10 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
The finish came at 4:41 of the third round via punch after da Lapa dropped Cabral early in the frame and finished the sequence on the ground.
Both men entered the fight undefeated. da Lapa improved to 7-0 while Cabral fell to 7-1. The bout streamed on Paramount+ as part of the season finale card that opened with the lightweight contest between Greg Foster and Jason Asher.
Da Lapa landed the clear volume edge throughout the three rounds. He connected on 122 of 223 significant strikes compared with Cabral’s 55 of 154, with the bulk of the damage landing to the head.
Cabral recorded one submission attempt and held 0:31 of control time against da Lapa’s 0:06, but the striking differential and the late knockdown proved decisive. Both fighters made weight at 185 pounds, with da Lapa holding a significant height and reach advantage entering the cage.
The finish arrived quickly once the third round began. da Lapa pressed forward, landed the punch that dropped Cabral near the center of the Octagon, and followed with ground strikes that prompted the referee to step in.
Cabral had remained competitive through the first two rounds by attempting to close distance and force grappling exchanges, but he could not sustain the output needed to offset da Lapa’s combinations.
The sequence matched the pattern of da Lapa’s prior regional wins, where he had finished five of his six previous opponents.
da Lapa, the 27-year-old from Rio de Janeiro who fights as Robozinho, arrived off a second-round knockout of Emerson Richard at LFA 234 in May.
Cabral, also 27 and from Rio de Janeiro, entered with a mix of finishes and a recent split decision over Perry Stargel at Peak Fighting. The size difference—da Lapa standing 6’3″ to Cabral’s 5’9″—shaped the striking exchanges from the opening round, as da Lapa used range to land the heavier volume.
The result ends Cabral’s perfect record and extends da Lapa’s streak of finishes against an opponent who had shown durability in prior outings.
Contender Series winners typically receive UFC offers when the promotion is impressed, though final determinations for the full card remain pending as the remaining bouts conclude.
da Lapa leaves Las Vegas with the third-round knockout and an improved record that strengthens his case among the Brazilian prospects on the season’s final episode. Cabral returns after his first professional loss in a bout decided by the taller fighter’s volume and power in the closing frame.
The middleweight matchup adds another finish to a Contender Series card that continues to determine which additional fighters advance toward the UFC roster.
