Callum Connor earns UFC contract despite first professional defeat

Britain's Callum Connor secured a UFC contract despite suffering his first professional defeat against Piero Guaylupo on Dana White's Contender Series. BBC Sport reported that the 26-year-old lightweight was one of six fighters awarded deals after Tuesday's five-fight card. UFC's official results confirmed that the event took place at Meta APEX in Las Vegas on September 22.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruGnx4E71Ng

Connor, from Manchester, lost by unanimous decision to the 21-year-old Peruvian, leaving his professional record at 8-1. UFC president Dana White praised both fighters and said their contest could be considered for fight of the year. According to BBC Sport, White said both men were in hospital after the bout and explained that he wanted to sign them both.

UFC's account of the fight described Guaylupo knocking Connor down in the opening round and following up with strikes on the ground before allowing him to stand. Connor continued to compete with punches, elbows and kicks, while Guaylupo landed powerful shots at close range. The contest lasted the full 15 minutes, with all three judges awarding Guaylupo each round for identical 30-27 scores.

The contract decisions produced a different outcome for Norbert Novenyi Jr. The Hungary-born, London-based middleweight defeated American Theo Haig by unanimous decision to improve his professional record to 11-1, BBC Sport reported. Yet the 26-year-old was the only winning fighter on the card who did not receive a UFC deal, despite securing the result in the evening's featured bout.

White told Novenyi that he and Haig had fought well but had not shown enough to convince him to offer a contract that night. His comments, reported by BBC Sport, also left open the possibility of another assessment. White said the promotion would like another look at Novenyi, rather than presenting the decision as a permanent rejection.

Connor was not the only defeated fighter to earn a deal. UFC confirmed that Jaden Ortega also received a contract after losing to Alvi Dasuyev, who was signed as well. Guaylupo, Marcos Degli and Damian Piwowarczyk completed the six contract recipients. Degli submitted Paris Moran in the second round, while Piwowarczyk stopped Emilio Quissua with five seconds remaining in the opening round.