LAS VEGAS – Dana White’s Contender Series returned Tuesday night at the UFC Apex, and three fighters scored UFC contracts on the ESPN+ broadcast.

In the night’s featured contest, Dustin Jacoby (12-5) looked impressive in a one-sided decision win over Ty Flores (7-3) but failed to earn a stoppage over an incredibly durable foe.

Jacoby scored with a snapping low kicks to start, then showed quick hands in drilling a few straights, as well. A leaping knee nearly landed clean, and it was clear Jacoby was in control of the early exchanges. Flores did score a massive kick to the body, but Jacoby smiled and resumed his own attacks.

Jacoby was patient in picking his shots, and when Flores shot for a takedown, he defended it well and controlled the head before forcing a restart. On the feet, Jacoby switched stances and picked apart the legs, while also finding a home for punches and elbows, as well. Flores proved his durability, absorbing the damage and occasionally firing back before the end of the round, but Jacoby was clearly setting the tone.

Flores again shot inside early in the second, but Jacoby pushed him aside with relative ease and then looked to punish him with elbows and knees inside. Jacoby used a kimura grip to escape from the clinch, and he resumed his work with accurate, devastating strikes. Flores’ face was bloodied, but he refused to back down, despite clearly tiring. Eventually, a big right hand staggered Flores, and additional blows saw him drop to the canvas, but he simply wouldn’t go away.

Flores crawled back to his feet late, and while clearly damaged and fatigued, he did his best to stay in the fight, eventually landing a few knees inside when Jacoby failed to keep range. Despite one-sided traffic, Flores somehow survived to the final round.

Against all odds, Flores came out pressing in the third, landing a few punches and looking to press the action. Jacoby’s output slowed, allowing Flores to actually work into a clinch and land a few knees inside. Eventually, Flores’ burst of energy faded, and Jacoby went on the attack again. However, Flores continued to show unbelievable heart, even scoring a takedown with 80 seconds left and moving around to the back. Jacoby turned inside and returned to the dominant position, but it was clear he was out of energy, as well, and the fight went to the judges, where Jacoby was awarded a clear decision win, 30-26, 29-27 and 29-27.

Despite being unable to finish Flores, Jacoby did earn a UFC contract.

In a featured lightweight clash Uros Medic (6-0) kept his record unblemished with a devastating first-round finish of Mikey Gonzalez (7-2).

Gonzalez opened with rapid lateral movement as Medic pressed the pace and looked to attack. Both men fired out powerful kicks, with Gonzalez flashing out several tricky hook kicks and spinning strikes. But Medic blocked most of the blows and returned fire with crushing kicks to the body, including a big one that saw his opponent crumple to the floor. To Gonzalez’s credit, he showed heart, battling through the pain and working back to his feet. He wasn’t rewarded for his valor, though, as Medic continued to press, dropping his opponent with a straight punch and finishing him with additional strikes on the floor, forcing referee Chris Tognoni to wave off the fight a the 2:12 mark of the opening round.

To no surprise, the performance earned Medic a UFC deal.

In a flyweight contest Jerome Rivera (10-2) earned a hard-fought decision over a scrappy Luis Rodriguez (11-2).

Rodriguez rushed to the center at the start, setting up against the taller Rivera. As they engaged, Rodriguez slipped on a kick, and Rivera scrambled immediately to his back, locking in a body triangle very early in the frame. While initially in a bad spot, Rodriguez forced a turn inside and took top position, forcing Rivera to scramble up and reset.

Rivera punched his way into a takedown attempt on the restart, but Rodriguez was able to stay upright, eventually capitalizing on his opponent’s slip to get his time in top position in the final minute, where he would finish the frame.

In the second, both men came out firing, but Rivera quickly changed levels and pushed the action to the cage. Rodriguez was again up to the challenge, and the two went back to trading in the center. Rivera did his best to rush and pressure, while Rodriguez used slick footwork to avoid the attacks. At the halfway point, it was Rodriguez who actually scored the takedown and then went high on the body, locking in a triangle and looking to attack the arm, as well. Rivera was patient in the bad spot and eventually got back to his feet.

The two actually laughed a little bit as the opened up the third trading big shots on the feet. As they clinched, Rodriguez was able to work himself to top position in a scramble to the floor, but Rivera again threatened with his legs. However, Rodriguez continued to slip out of the attempts, and they returned to the feet a little past the halfway mark.

Rodriguez scored another takedown late in the frame, and Rivera continued to hunt for submissions. However, with time winding down, he was forced to scramble and try to make something happen. Unfortunately for Rivera, Rodriguez continued to wind up in the best spots after each exchange, and the two saw the fight go to the judges, who all leaned towards Rivera, perhaps surprisingly with two 30-27 scores and one 29-28.

In the night’s first fight, lightweight Jordan Leavitt (7-0) remained undefeated with a first-round submission win over Luke Flores (9-2).

At the start, Leavitt wasted little time diving under a straight and shooting for the takedown, though he had to battle out of a guillotine attempt to take top position. Flores was active from his back, looking for both submission and sweep opportunities, but Leavitt remained in the dominant position. Flores eventually crawled to his feet a little past the halfway mark, but he found himself again on his back shortly after trying to leap up and attack the neck.

As the round wore on, Flores was able to get to his knees, but Leavitt teased the back take repeatedly, forcing him to settle on his back. That was no bother for Leavitt, who deftly locked in an arm-triangle choke and squeezed to get the tap at the 4:15 mark of the opening round.

The impressive submission win was enough to earn Leavitt a UFC deal.

Tuesday’s event featured just four fights rather than the usual five, after a medical issue forced a late scratch of a planned lightweight contest between Damonte Robinson (6-1-1) and Kenneth Cross (10-3).

Dana White’s Contender Series results include:

• Dustin Jacoby def. Ty Flores via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27)
• Uros Medic def. Mikey Gonzalez via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:12
• Jerome Rivera def. Luis Rodriguez via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Jordan Leavitt def. Luke Flores via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:15