Maui’s Dutro Competes in MMA Contender Series

Riley Dutro. File photo 2011 courtesy of Kiha Kaina

Maui’s Riley Dutro appeared as one of 10 fighters in Season 2, Week 4 of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series in Las Vegas on July 10, 2018.

The 30-year-old Wailuku fighter, also known as “The Perfect Storm” came into the fight with a seven-fight win streak.  He is the former Pacific Xtreme Combat champion in Guam, and fought in Shooto, Japan where he earned his two most recent wins.

Dutro received the invite to fight in the Contender Series via Instagram.

In tonight’s Contender fight, his opponent, Jordan Espinoza landed a left hook that dropped Dutro in Round 3.  The fight ended with the referee stopping the contest with two seconds left in the bout.

Espinoza remains undefeated as a fly-weight and the fight marks his third straight win over Contender Series fighters. As a result of his win over Dutro tonight in Las Vegas, Espinoza now has a UFC contract in-hand. It was one of only two awarded during tonight’s episode on the UFC’s on-demand streaming service, UFC Fight Pass. The other contract went to Bevon Lewis, who scored the only first round finish of the night.

The Contender Series is “focused on finding the next generation of UFC talent” and gives them a stage to show they have what it takes to win a contract with the UFC.  Not all winners are guaranteed a contract, but they are given the opportunity to prove themselves before UFC President Dana White.

Dutro was one of three fighters with Hawaiʻi connections on the Main Card which also included Toby Misech and Joey Gomez.

The 30-year-old Misech grew up in Hilo, Hawaiʻi and currently trains in Jesus is Lord Gym on Oʻahu at the same club as the Ostovich family.  Misech also lost his fight on Tuesday night’s Main Card against Rick Palacios in a unanimous decision.

Gomez is originally from Colorado, but moved to Hilo to train with BJ Penn. Aguilar defeated Gomez in a split decision.