Middleweight Charles Byrd became the first fighter to win twice on Dana White’s Contender Series after submitting short-notice replacement Randall Wallace.

Byrd toughed it out after Wallace set up a rear-naked choke in the first, returning the favor at the 2:03 mark of the second frame in the headliner of Dana White’s Contender Series 6 on Tuesday.

For his troubles, Wallace was one of two fighters to earn a UFC contract.

“I knew I had to get a finish first,” Byrd said afterward. “The pressure went away because of the first fight, but it’s the big leagues. You’ve got to perform. I’m thankful I got another victory and the finish.”

The event took place at The Ultimate Fighter Gym in Las Vegas and streamed live on UFC Fight Pass.

Byrd came in hot with a flurry of punches but wound up catching a right hand that stunned him. Byrd tried to pull off the quick upset, taking the back after a takedown. With his hands not quite positioned, Byrd was forced to wait it out. When he got a bit of space, he reversed position and took mount. Wallace escaped but was muscled back to the canvas.

The momentum shift of the first round didn’t repeat in the second. Byrd (9-4) again charged in and reversed a takedown attempt to land big shots from top position. When Wallace (15-7) gave up his back, he sunk in the choke.

Dawson decimates Diaz, earns contract

Featherweight Grant Dawson ran roughshod over Adrian Diaz before a rear-naked choke at the 1:15 mark of the second round.

Diaz barely survived the first round as Dawson put him on the mat and pounded him. He squeezed a choke in the last seconds of the frame that might have ended the fight if not for the bell.

“I hope that was the performance Dana (White) was looking for,” Dawson said after the win. “I knew what I had to do, and I did it, and I hope I can get a contract.”

He did.

Dawson (12-1) now has won three straight. Diaz (11-5-1) sees a three-fight winning streak snapped.

Olson grinds out Reed for decision upset

Light heavyweight Cameron Olson knew how to take the spring out of Karl Reed’s step.

After taking enough potshots from the bouncy Reed to bloody his nose, Olson made it an ugly grind. He charged in and smothered his opponent against the fence and sapped Reed’s energy in the process.

Spurts of offense from Reed in the early portion of the fight gave way to Olson’s control. In the first round, Olson landed a series of knees to the head. In the second, he slammed Reed and almost got an arm-triangle.

By the third, Olson (7-3) was doing most of the initiation when it came to dictating the direction of the fight. The final scores were 29-28 across the board, bringing an upset as the +225 underdog against Reed (1-1).

“I didn’t get the finish like I wanted to, but I had the gas,” Olson said afterward. “I’m still upset I couldn’t quite get the finish. That’s what I really wanted to do.”

Alvarez survives disastrous third against Day

Flyweight Jamie Alvarez got beat from pillar to post in his final round against Martin Day. But he survived the onslaught, and his work in the first two rounds got him the decision win.

A clearly dissatisfied Alvarez earned scores of 28-27, 29-28 and 29-27 to take the fight. He said afterward that a tough weight-cut left him unable to fight back against Day, who battered his body and landed heavy punches and kicks.

“I know what I’m capable of, and that definitely wasn’t it,” said Alvarez, a veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 24.”

Alvarez attacked Day’s legs early in an effort to take the sting from the Hawaiian’s big kicks. Toward the end of the opening frame, he traded takedowns with Day and did more damage during his stint in dominant position.

Doubling down on the strategy, Alvarez got an early takedown in the second and threatened chokes from back control, keeping top position despite a scramble effort from Day, who briefly managed to take the back near the end.

Going into the third, it was a close fight. Day (5-2) had put some good hands on Alvarez (7-1) as he shot in, and hadn’t expired when taking ground-and-pound. Alvarez, however, just didn’t have the energy to put up much of a fight and was badly outclassed in the final frame.

Thankfully for him, he’d already built up enough credit with judges.

Colleen snatches victory at last-minute with submission

Women’s strawweight [autotag]Jamie Colleen snatched victory from the jaws of certain defeat, getting a last-minute armbar on Tiffany Masters after getting dominated for much of the bout.

Masters appeared to be well on her way to a decision win when Colleen secured the submission, going belly down to get a verbal tap at the 4:43 mark of the third round.

“This fight means everything to me, and I preach to my daughters never to give up,” Colleen said after improving her professional record to 4-1.

The complete results for Dana White’s Contender Series 6 include:

• Charles Byrd def. Randall Wallace via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:03
• Grant Dawson def. Adrian Diaz via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:15
• Cameron Olson def. Karl Reed via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jamie Alvarez def. Martin Day via unanimous decision (28-27, 29-28, 29-27)
• Jamie Colleen def. Tiffany Masters via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 4:43

For more on Dana White’s Contender Series 6, visit the UFC Events page of the site.

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