{"id":152784,"date":"2025-09-18T20:07:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T20:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/152784\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T20:07:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T20:07:13","slug":"ufc-contract-winner-booked-for-debut-fight-after-16-second-ko-impressed-dana-white","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/152784\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC contract winner booked for debut fight after 16-second KO impressed Dana White"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_pupj8ax6g\">A little over a week after he earned a UFC contract on Dana White\u2019s Contender Series, heavyweight fighter Steven Asplund has been booked for his promotional debut. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_4242e6u3e\">This year\u2019s edition of DWCS is in full swing, and following <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/dana-white-contender-series-2025-week-6-free-live-stream-results-highlights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the conclusion of Week 6 <\/a>a total of <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/dana-white-signs-4-fighters-to-ufc-including-daniel-cormier-ilia-topuria-teammates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">24 contracts have been handed out<\/a> by UFC CEO Dana White with four weeks of action and 20 more fights still left to go. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_z2sfbii1d\">Week 5 closed out with a heavyweight bout that saw <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/dana-whites-contender-series-2025-week-5-free-live-stream-results-highlights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Asplund knock out the formerly-undefeated Anthony Guarascio<\/a> in just 16 seconds, and <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AlexBehunin\/status\/1968434795282849823\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Behunin reports<\/a> that \u201cConcrete\u201d has already signed on to make his UFC debut against Sean Sharaf on December 13. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_w6sxoitwz\">Following a successful six-fight amateur career that saw Asplund go undefeated and score four finishes in just over a year, the 27-year-old made his pro debut in late 2023 and stopped 13-fight MMA veteran Anthony Garrett in just 11 seconds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_6qmbsvm2d\">READ MORE: <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/ufc-perth-major-fight-cancellation-junior-tafa-ibo-aslan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UFC Perth hit with major fight cancellation less than two weeks before event<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_yrssfs1sr\">\u201cConcrete\u201d joined the LFA the following year and scored two more wins before being submitted by Denzel Freeman in the first (and so far only) setback of his pro or amateur careers. Asplund rebounded with back-to-back finishes under the LFA banner and was booked to meet The Ultimate Fighter veteran Jordan Heiderman on September 12 before he got the call to replace Guilherme Pat and face Guarascio on DWCS. <\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Steven Asplund earns the third-fastest knockout in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/DWCS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">#DWCS<\/a> history after taking down Anthony Guarascio in just 16 seconds \ud83d\ude24 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fWe3LbXKBf\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/fWe3LbXKBf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 ESPN MMA (@espnmma) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/espnmma\/status\/1965598639809564694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_zrazgsojl\">Entering the night as a slight pre-fight underdog, Asplund only needed 16 seconds to knock out Guarascio and secure his place as one of five fighters on Week 5 that impressed White enough to earn UFC contracts. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_tznrsiqjr\">Asplund\u2019s promotional debut will see him square off with the hard-hitting Sharaf, who stepped in to replace Chris Barnett at a UFC Fight Night event last October and was stopped by Junior Tafa in the second round. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_nlift6ib4\">READ MORE: <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/dana-white-conor-mcgregor-update-ufc-white-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">&#8216;Dead serious:&#8217; Dana White&#8217;s huge Conor McGregor update sets off UFC White House hype<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_tb7tyvkr7\">Prior to facing Tafa, Sharaf went 2-0 as an amateur fighter in 2019 before he turned pro in 2021. \u201cThe Smoke\u201d went 4-0 before he got the call to join the UFC, and all four of those victories came via knockout in the first round. <\/p>\n<p><img class=\"base_1emrqjj-o_O-initial_fzbddc-o_O-style_1a1csmw-o_O-style_e296pg\" alt=\"Sean Sharaf during his UFC debut against Junior Tafa.\" title=\"Sean Sharaf during his UFC debut against Junior Tafa.\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sean Sharaf during his UFC debut against Junior Tafa. \/ (Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_vzker6vgx\">Sharaf will welcome Asplund to the UFC as part of a UFC Fight Night event at the promotion\u2019s UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, NV on December 13. The card is headlined by a rebooked flyweight matchup between Brandon Royval and Manel Kape, and it will serve as the final UFC offering of 2025 as well as <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/final-ufc-fight-of-the-year-revealed-espn-era-comes-to-close\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the promotion\u2019s last event with ESPN <\/a>before the start of the new Paramount deal in 2026. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_zzhfzy02w\">\u2022\tMain Event: Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape<\/p>\n<p>\u2022\tIasmin Lucindo vs. Gillian Robertson<\/p>\n<p>\u2022\tTereza Bleda vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth<\/p>\n<p>\u2022\tSteven Asplund vs. Sean Sharaf<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_1al67iaks\">\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/ufc-makes-bold-changes-as-talk-grows-of-promotion-fixing-major-issue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UFC makes bold changes as talk grows of promotion fixing major issue<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_kq35ybhy4\">\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/roman-kopylov-gregory-rodrigues-banger-fight-of-the-night-ufc-322-card\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UFC adds banger &#8220;Fight of the Night&#8221; candidate to stacked UFC 322 card<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_mkoy8rwm8\">\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/ufc-322-books-showdown-between-seasoned-veteran-and-returning-prospect\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UFC 322 books showdown between seasoned veteran and returning prospect<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_yz9qk4bhn\">\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/ufc-lerone-murphy-dismisses-diego-lopes-alexander-volkanovski-rematch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UFC title hopeful dismisses Diego Lopes&#8217; case for Alexander Volkanovski rematch<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_pn39ozsk9\">Stick with\u00a0<a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MMAKnockout<\/a>\u00a0for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_twrbne3ue\">Follow MMAKnockout on\u00a0<a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MMAKnockoutSI\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UFCKnockout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0<a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_gsswpw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mmaknockoutsi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A little over a week after he earned a UFC contract on Dana White\u2019s Contender Series, heavyweight fighter&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152785,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,785,85],"class_list":["post-152784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}