The second time on Dana White's Contender Series was the charm for Ahmad Hassanzada.

The opening bout Tuesday of DWCS 72, Hassanzada slept Dylan Mantello at the 2:41 mark of Round 3 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The fight was highly entertaining and both men had their moments. After a strong first round by Hassanzada (12-3) that included various spinning attacks, Mantello (8-4) scored a knockdown at the start of Round 2 after a pump-up speech by coach Ray Longo (via X):

However, it was Hassanzada who would rally and submit Mantello with a rear-naked choke midway through Round 3 (via X):

Afghanistan's Hassanzada competed on DWCS in 2022 and was knocked out in the third-round of a slugfest vs. Nazim Sadykhov. After a 2-1 stretch back on the regional scene, Hassanzada got his second shot back on short notice.

Tuesday's fight also marked the second DWCS opportunity for New York's Mantello, who lost to Kaynan Kruschewsky in 2023.

Up-to-the-minute DWCS 72 results include:

• Ahmad Hassanzada def. Dylan Mantello via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:41

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for DWCS 72.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: DWCS 72 video: Ahmad Hassanzada sleeps Dylan Mantello in exhausting, back-and-forth bout