Won Il Kwon came dangerously close to ending the fight in the opening round, but Apollo Gomes survived the Korean bantamweight’s biggest attacks before rallying to earn a unanimous decision at Dana White’s Contender Series. Neither fighter ultimately walked away with a UFC contract.
Won Il Kwon’s latest attempt to fight his way into the UFC ended in disappointment Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Kwon suffered a unanimous decision loss to Brazil’s Apollo Gomes at Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 5 — DWCS 91, with all three judges scoring the bantamweight contest 29-28 for Gomes.
The result dropped Kwon to 14-7, while Gomes improved to 13-2.
But the scorecards only tell part of the story.
Kwon had Gomes in serious trouble during a chaotic opening round and appeared to be only a few clean shots away from producing exactly the kind of finish that can change a fighter’s career on Contender Series.
Instead, Gomes survived, adjusted and gradually took control of the fight.
Kwon Nearly Ends It in the First
Gomes immediately made his intentions clear by attacking Kwon with his grappling.
The Brazilian relentlessly pursued the takedown before eventually taking Kwon’s back while standing. Gomes wrapped his legs around Kwon and remained attached as the Korean worked to peel him away.
Won Il Kwon eventually escaped — and the complexion of the fight changed almost immediately.
Once he had room to strike, Kwon connected with heavy punches that rocked Gomes and sent him to the canvas.
Gomes recovered quickly and instinctively returned to his wrestling, shooting on Kwon’s hips in an attempt to slow the momentum.
Then Kwon hurt him again.
A huge body shot visibly compromised Gomes and sent him down for a second time. Kwon followed looking for the finish, but Gomes managed to survive until the horn.
For Kwon, it was the biggest opportunity of the fight.
For Gomes, surviving the opening five minutes proved critical.
Gomes Turns to Pressure and Grappling
The second round looked considerably different.
Apollo Gomes began pushing Kwon backward more consistently, mixing his punches and kicks with takedown attempts while forcing Kwon to deal with a steady stream of offense.
The round was interrupted twice by accidental low blows, including a lengthy stoppage after Kwon was struck below the belt.
Once the action resumed, Kwon still found success on the feet and landed a hard right hand, but Gomes increasingly began imposing his own game.
Late in the round, Gomes converted another takedown and climbed onto Kwon’s back.
The Brazilian threatened with a rear-naked choke, forcing Kwon to defend as Gomes controlled the position. Kwon managed to escape the submission attempt, but Gomes remained attached and finished the round attacking with an elbow and punches.
It was a significant swing after Kwon’s explosive opening round.
Gomes Pulls Away in the Third
With the fight potentially tied entering the final five minutes, Gomes produced his most consistent round of the night.
Won Il Kwon opened with a high kick, while Gomes answered by pressing forward behind punches and a spinning elbow.
The Brazilian continued mixing his striking with takedown attempts, and although Kwon successfully defended the wrestling exchanges, Gomes was increasingly winning the battle of volume.
Kwon continued moving forward and looking for opportunities to land something significant, but Gomes repeatedly connected with his left hand.
Eventually, one of those shots badly rocked Kwon.
Rather than recklessly chasing a finish, Gomes stayed composed and continued applying pressure. Kwon found himself fighting near the fence as Gomes worked behind his jab and attacked both the head and body.
Kwon attempted to create an opening with a spinning backfist, but it missed.
Gomes continued working until the final seconds, even throwing another spinning elbow at the horn.
When the scorecards were announced, all three judges agreed.
No UFC Contract for Gomes
Despite defeating an experienced opponent in Kwon, Gomes’ victory was not enough to earn him a UFC contract.
UFC CEO Dana White awarded contracts to Christian Natividad, Martin Kozak, Isaac Moreno and Quentin Pasley following the five-fight card. Gomes was the only winner from the night who was not signed. White indicated that he wanted Gomes to gain additional experience before potentially returning.
That decision adds an unusual wrinkle to Kwon’s defeat.
Gomes won the fight, but neither bantamweight ultimately accomplished the goal that brought them to the Meta APEX.
The official UFC schedule had Kwon and Gomes competing as part of Season 10, Week 5 on September 8 in Las Vegas, with both men weighing 135.5 pounds ahead of the fight.
Another UFC Opportunity Slips Away for Won Il Kwon
For Kwon, the loss is particularly difficult because of what was at stake.
The former ONE Championship standout entered DWCS carrying significantly more high-level experience than the typical prospect appearing on the series. At his best, Kwon has built his reputation around aggressive boxing, legitimate knockout power and a willingness to turn fights into exchanges.
Those weapons were evident again against Gomes.
For several minutes in the opening round, Kwon looked capable of producing the highlight-reel finish he needed. He hurt Gomes upstairs, dropped him and then badly compromised him with a body shot.
But Contender Series fights can turn on small windows.
Kwon couldn’t close his.
Gomes survived the storm, returned to his wrestling and gradually forced Kwon into a fight that favored the Brazilian’s pressure, volume and positional control.
By the third round, the momentum had completely shifted.
There was no contract waiting for Gomes afterward, but he still left Las Vegas with the victory.
Kwon left facing a much more difficult question.
At 14-7, the Korean bantamweight remains an experienced and dangerous fighter with proven finishing ability, but another direct route into the UFC has now closed.
The frustrating part may be just how close he came to changing that story in the opening five minutes.
On a night built around earning one opportunity, Kwon had his moment.
He simply couldn’t finish it.
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Always falls short dude needed that finish 1st round.