Entering his Dana White’s Contender Series bout a perfect 10-0, Zellhuber quickly proved he was ready to compete against UFC-caliber opposition. In Season 5, Zellhuber squared off against then-undefeated Lucas Almeida, who came into their bout with an 11-0 record and a 100 percent finish rate.
Throughout the fight, Almeida landed several heavy shots, testing Zellhuber’s iron chin. In the second round, Zellhuber managed his distance effectively and began landing his kicks, keeping Almeida at bay. He also mixed in a takedown and controlled Almeida for over 90 seconds. Zellhuber finished the round looking confident, even putting his hands behind his back to invite pressure from Almeida.
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The third round was Zellhuber’s best; he out-landed Almeida by the widest margin of the night, which secured him a unanimous decision victory. After 15 minutes, Dana White rose to his feet and applauded their performances.
“This fight was unbelievable,” White said at the end of the show. “…First of all, [Zellhuber’s] got an incredible chin, well-rounded game, he’s only 22 years old. Usually, I look at guys a couple years older, but he’s 12-0 at 22 years old. You never see that. He said something about fighting like a real Mexican. This dude fights like a real Mexican. He’s awesome, I love everything about him.”