Video: Bruno Lopes drills Mikheil Sazhiniani with body shot barrage at Dana White's Contender Series

Bruno Lopes was unwilling to let his second Dana White’s Contender Series chance slip through his fingers.

At DWCS 67, Lopes (13-1) finished opponent Mikheil Sazhiniani (13-3) with a series of body blows for a stoppage at 4:14 of Round 3. The light heavyweight bout was the third of the series’ eighth season, which launched with its first card Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Sazhiniani had a strong opening round. As the fight progressed, however, the tables turned. Sazhiniani wore down and Lopes’ body shots expedited the process of cardio failure. A big step-knee to the body by Lopes just prior to the finish hurt Sazhiniani. Seconds later, a body punch put Sazhiniani in visible agony. Lopes pounced and landed a series of punches to the midsection as Sazhiniani covered up.

Lopes, 31, makes good one year after he lost in a massive upset to Brendson Ribeiro on DWCS in 2023. After the loss, he returned to LFA where he defended his title in January with a second-round submission win.

Sazhiniani, 27, has a six-fight winning streak snapped. The Georgian light heavyweight had competed in BRAVE CF and Octagon among other promotions prior to Tuesday’s bout.

The up-to-the-minute DWCS 67 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 67.