Dana White’s Contender Series 75: Grading the winners

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the performances of the five winners from Dana White’s Contender Series 75.

Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2024) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.

With a simple but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this series has shown to have legs in multiple ways while serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.

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Sean Gauci

Sean Gauci def. Anthony Drilich – DWCS 75

Weight class: Flyweight
Result: Sean Gauci def. Anthony Drilich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Grade: B

Summary: Setting the tone for the night was a technical scrap between [autotag]Sean Gauci[/autotag] and Anthony Drilich.

I’m not beyond rewarding fighters who go to a decision with an A, but there wasn’t enough output and action to get there for me. That said, it was a shame that Gauci didn’t get consideration come contract time given that he was one of the most complete fighters to compete on the entire card.

I know Dana White has gotten everyone (including myself when it comes to winner grades) to associate quick finishes with good performances, but those two things are far from mutually exclusive.

Unfortunately for Gauci, he claimed to have broken his hand early in the second frame and couldn’t make a case as strong as he would like.

It’s a shame that the UFC flew out two Australian talents who could’ve just fought on the regionals (especially given the flyweight grading curb), but I hope that Gauci and Drilich get serious consideration from the UFC matchmakers down the road.

Islam Dulatov

Islam Dulatov def. Vanilto Antunes – DWCS 75

Weight class: Welterweight
Result: Islam Dulatov def. Vanilto Antunes via knockout (elbow) – Round 1, 2:44
Grade: A

Summary: After turning the cage into a cartoon dust storm, it was hard to deny [autotag]Islam Dulatov[/autotag] anything short of an A for his knockout over Vanilto Antunes.

As his record indicates, Dulatov is a fighter accustomed to getting things done early.

Dulatov, like other fast starters, such as Conor McGregor, appears to have the ability to lock in straight out of the gate regarding his reads on distance and openings.

Although it can be hard to tell given his enthusiasm and work rate, Dulatov appears to have solid technique and a diverse striking arsenal from which to draw. Dulatov also owns multiple submissions on his record, so I’m curious to see more of him against stiffer competition.

Signing the Chechnya-born German was a no-brainer for Dana White, so don’t be surprised to see Dulatov featured on an international card early next year.

I’m not sure who they’ll book Dulatov with, but I suspect he’d be the perfect dance partner for someone like Danny Barlow.

Mario Pinto

Mario Pinto def. Lucas Camacho – DWCS 75

Weight class: Heavyweight
Result: Mario Pinto def. Lucas Camacho via knockout (left hook) – Round 1,
Grade: A

Summary: Even though it was a quick outing, it’s difficult to deny [autotag]Mario Pinto[/autotag] an easy A for his knockout over Lucas Comacho.

Both men seemed to be somewhat shakey at first given the height and length parity at play, but Pinto was able to be the more composed of the two by staying behind his lead hand. And once Pinto was able to establish his range, the native of Portugal smartly hooked off his jab to catch Camacho coming in.

I obviously want to see way more of Pinto before making any bold declarations, but not even I can argue with a heavyweight who actually jabs.

Considering Dane White’s Vince McMahon-like adulation for huge men, seeing Pinto get promptly signed came as no surprise to me. As far as his first assignment goes, I think Thomas “Jefferson” Peterson would be the perfect matchup to test Pinto in his promotional debut.

Kody Steele

Kody Steele def. Chasen Blair – DWCS 75

Weight class: Lightweight
Result: Kody Steele def. Chasen Blair via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:07
Grade: A

Summary: Bodyshot stoppages equal instant A’s for me, so it should be no surprise that [autotag]Kody Steele[/autotag] gets the proverbial rubber stamp from myself and the UFC brass alike.

Looking like the second coming of Rick Story, Steele – who comes from a grappling base – showed steady pressure and bodywork en route to wearing down Blair.

In Blair’s defense, he did take the fight on a short turnaround from a fight he won in late September, so I hope to see him again on a full camp.

Steele appears ready to meet the usual standard signed for this show, but I can’t help but worry about his propensity to keep his head upright and on center in exchanges. That said, I expect solid fight-to-fight improvements from Steele, given his age and the camp he trains at.

I’m happy to see Steele get signed considering the fallout he endured during this season and wouldn’t be shocked to see him paired with someone like Mitch Ramirez for his first UFC assignment.

Artem Vakhitov

Artem Vakhitov def. Islem Masraf – DWCS 75

Weight class: Light heavyweight
Result: Artem Vakhitov def. Islem Masraf via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:23
Grade: A

Summary: Despite starting off a bit shaky, I felt like [autotag]Artem Vakhitov[/autotag] showed enough in his first-round finish over Islem Masraf to earn an A from me.

When you consider that Vakhitov only recently came over from kickboxing (only having two professional MMA fights prior to this), then I feel like we should temper our expectations when it comes to both the Russian’s style and ceiling.

The clinch is quietly the most important space for strikers coming into this sport, so seeing Vakhitov gravitate toward this phase of the fight isn’t the worst thing in the world (although I suspect he was only doing it to quiet the chaos and reduce win conditions for his opponent).

So long as Vakhitov can avoid pulling his opponent on top of him like he briefly did in this bout, then I expect his competence in closed quarters to only improve from fight to fight. That said, I suspect that the UFC will be careful with how they book Vakhitov, considering his history with Alex Pereira (who apparently played a role in his former foe’s signing).

I feel bad for Yousri Belgouri, who now trains with Pereira and still didn’t get this treatment in his two swings at bat on the Contender Series, but I wasn’t surprised to see Vakhitov get the nod from Dana White and company. For my money, don’t be shocked to see Vakhitov paired up with someone like Ivan Erslan for his UFC debut.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 75.

Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Grading the winners

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the performances of the five winners from Dana White’s Contender Series 74.

Week 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2024) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.

With a simple but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this series has shown to have legs in multiple ways while serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.

***

Jacobe Smith

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 01: (L-R) Jacobe Smith faces Christien Savoie of Canada in their welterweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week eight event at UFC Apex on October 1, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Strawweight
Result: Jacobe Smith def. Christien Savoie via TKO (ground and pound) – Round 2, 2:55
Grade: A

Summary: Setting the tone for the night was [autotag]Jacobe Smith[/autotag], who earns an easy A for his destruction of Christien Savoie.

Considering that Smith was already on my radar as one of my prospects to watch in 2023, I can’t say I was surprised to see him come away with the win here. That said, I was impressed with Smith’s continued strides in his transition game.

Whether we’re talking about his comfortability taking a back or the fact that he seems to naturally find strikes in transition, Smith showed everything you’d want to see in a welterweight prospect.

Even though Smith may be a bit on the smaller side for the division, the former two-time NJCAA champion has the correct foundation to thrive in a division that carries the unofficial nickname of “wrestle-weight” given its history of successors.

Signing Smith was a no-brainer, so don’t be shocked to see him back in the cage sooner than later. I believe that Smith can already swim with the middle of the pack at 170 pounds, but I suspect that the UFC will start him off with a name like Charlie Radtke for his first official assignment.

Torrez Finney

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 01: (R-L) Torrez Finney reacts after defeating Abdellah Er-Ramy of Morocco in their middleweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week eight event at UFC Apex on October 1, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Middleweight
Result: Torrez Finney def. Abdellah Er-Ramy via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:10
Grade: A

Summary: Making quick work of Abdellah Er-Ramy, it was hard to deny [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] both an A and UFC contract.

In what was Finney’s third swing at bat on the Contender Series, the pressure was certainly on for the undefeated fighter to leave no doubt this time around. And after grounding Er-Ramy right in front of Dana White and the UFC matchmakers, Finney went right to work with both strikes and positional advances, eventually mounting his opponent off of some solid wrist rides.

Despite Er-Ramy being incredibly outmatched in this spot, I’m happy that the UFC finally awarded Finney a contract. Don’t be surprised to see him booked by year’s end against someone like Zachary Reese or Sedriques Dumas.

David Martinez

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 01: (R-L) David Martinez of Mexico kicks Xavier Franklin in their bantamweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week eight event at UFC Apex on October 1, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Bantamweight
Result: David Martinez def. Xavier Franklin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Grade: A

Summary: Despite being the only winner to not find a finish, I hard time denying [autotag]David Martniez[/autotag] anything less than an A for arguably being the most UFC-ready fighter of the night given the skills that were on display, as well as the opponent at hand.

Not only did Martinez demonstrate some solid ring awareness and sharp counters, but the Mexican fighter almost turned Xavier Franklin into “Professor Xavier” with the number of crushing leg kicks he was landing on him.

Credit to Franklin, who displayed a lot of promise for such a young fighter. Although Franklin was getting tagged early, the American was able to find Martinez with some solid counters in Round 2.

That said, you could argue it was too little too late for Franklin given that the damage had already been done regarding his leg condition and ability to explode. I’m glad that Martinez got signed and hope we see Franklin again in the future.

Although Martinez looks like he’s already primed to swim with the sharks, I suspect that the UFC brass matches him up with someone like Lee Chang-ho.

Alberto Montes

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 01: (L-R) Alberto Montes of Venezuela punches Carlos Calderon in their featherweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week eight event at UFC Apex on October 1, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Featherweight
Result: Alberto Montes def. Carlos Calderon via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 2, 2:38
Grade: A

Summary: Even though [autotag]Alberto Montes[/autotag] got a little too positionally wild for my liking, I had a hard time denying him an A for hitting his special move in style over Carlos Calderon.

After stunning Calderon early with the counter right hand, Montes found himself fending off an opponent who was intent on making this a sticky affair. After some entertaining scrambles (and botched submission attempts prior), Montes was able to make some serious hay from a failed Peruvian necktie attempt by transitioning right into his patent anaconda choke.

I believe that Montes will make for a solid action-fighting addition to the weight class, so I’m glad to see Dana White sign the Venezuelan fighter. I hope that the matchmakers pair Montes up with someone like Hyder Amil for some guaranteed fireworks.

Diyar Nurgozhay

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 01: (L-R) Diyar Nurgozhay of Kazakstan reacts after defeating Bartosz Szewczyk of Poland in their light heavyweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week eight event at UFC Apex on October 1, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Light heavyweight
Result: Diyar Nurgozhay def. Bartosz Szewczyk via knockout (head kick) – Round 2, 3:32
Grade: A

Summary: Although this fight felt dangerously close to falling victim to a slow-paced slogfest, [autotag]Diyar Nurgozhay[/autotag] ends up earning an A for beautifully paying off his previous work to earn an emphatic knockout to close out the show.

Despite Bartosz Szewczyk doing his best to keep Nurgozhay honest with some hard returns of his own, the Kazak fighter showed some savvy striking from his southpaw stance.

Establishing the threat of the left hand (as well as the occasional body kick), Nurgozhay was able to get Szewczyk to eventually bite hard on anything coming from said side. And after Nurgozhay drew a strong reaction from a left-sided feint, he smartly followed up with a cross to a same-side head kick that sent the Pole falling to the floor half-conscious.

Nurgozhay is a solid light heavyweight signing for the UFC. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the next United Arab Emirates card opposite someone like Magomed Ghadzhiyasulov.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 74.