Philip Rowe made sure at least one Contender Series contract was handed out on Tuesday.
On a night full of steady, if unspectacular performances, Rowe (7-2) and Leon Shahbazyan (7-2) threw down in the Contender Series week 9 welterweight main event until Rowe finished the fight with an explosive burst in round three.
The conclusion of the bout was a reversal of fortunes from round one, where it looked like Shahbazyan was close to finishing Rowe. After catching a kick, Shahbazyan threw a sharp counter-punch and Rowe was the one who was sat down against the cage in the opening period.