George Staines Earns UFC Deal With Historic Slam KO on Contender Series
Paddy Pimblett's teammate knocked out Loai Abushaar in 61 seconds with the first slam KO in Contender Series history.
George Staines made Contender Series history on Tuesday night, knocking out Loai Abushaar with a devastating slam just 61 seconds into their lightweight bout. It was the first slam knockout in the show's history.
Staines, who trains alongside Paddy Pimblett in Liverpool, improved to 11-0 as a professional with the violent finish at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. The former Cage Warriors standout wasted no time, securing a body lock on Abushaar before driving him into the canvas with his arm pinned. Abushaar was out cold on impact, per Yahoo Sports.
Dana White awarded Staines a UFC contract after the performance. The 10-fight winning streak across Cage Warriors and Oktagon MMA had already established Staines as one of Europe's best unsigned lightweights. Tuesday's showing confirmed it in emphatic fashion.
It was a clean sweep on the night. All four winners on the card earned UFC contracts. Heavyweight Adama Diop stopped Zaurbek Sabanov with punches in the second round. Featherweight Ian Escuza finished Luca Borando with knees from the clinch in just 32 seconds, though the stoppage came after a controversial illegal strike. LFA strawweight champion Aieza Bertolso submitted Camila Reynoso with an inverted D'Arce choke in the first round.
Week 8 marked one of the most exciting episodes of Season 10, with every fight ending inside the distance and every winner walking away with a spot on the UFC roster.
I was at the Apex tonight and that slam is going to be on every highlight reel for a long time. Staines didn't even need to throw a punch. He locked onto Abushaar, picked him up, and put him down like he was taking out the trash. Sixty-one seconds. In a sport where everyone is chasing the viral knockout, that was as clean as it gets.
The Pimblett connection is going to get all the attention, but Staines is his own fighter. Eleven and zero with finishes in Cage Warriors, Oktagon, and now the Contender Series. Lightweight is stacked, but this kid has the size at 6'4" and the finishing instinct to make some noise. Keep an eye on his first UFC booking.
