Quemuel Ottoni withdraws from DWCS minutes before fight, Dana White reacts

Contender Series is not for the faint of heart.

An unprecedented event took place on the latest episode of season eight of Contender Series as on Tuesday, less than an hour before he was set to face Kody Steele in the penultimate fight of the evening, Quemuel Ottoni withdrew from the event.

The UFC broadcast team revealed that while getting his hands wrapped backstage, Ottoni simply decided he no longer wanted to compete and after speaking to UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby, took off his gloves and exited. UFC CEO Dana White spoke moments after the bout cancellation was revealed.

“That’s what this show is all about,” White said. “Sometimes you don’t have to actually get in the cage to realize, ‘This isn’t for me. I can’t handle the pressure. I don’t want to do this.’ This is what this is all about.”

MMA Fighting reached out to Ottoni for comment but received no response.

Ottoni was supposed to face Kody Steele, a highly-touted prospect and BJJ competitor, in a lightweight contest, and White further spoke and what this means for Steele.

“I think he’s part of the problem,” White said. “I think he’s part of why the kid pulled out. He will be paid in full tonight, his show and his win, and we will get him on another episode of Contender Series this weekend.”

Steele is currently undefeated in his MMA career at 6-0 and most recently competed this past April for Fury FC, scoring a third-round TKO.