Torrez Finney

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.

***

Sean Gauci

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

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

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

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

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.

Torrez Finney explains why he felt like a UFC fighter before earning contract with third DWCS win

Undefeated middleweight Torrez Finney felt at home in the UFC before he was officially on the roster.

LAS VEGAS – Stepping into the cage for his third Dana White’s Contender Series fight, [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] knew he wasn’t leaving the UFC Apex without a contract to fight in the world’s premier organization.

In fact, Finney (10-0) already felt like a UFC fighter before he picked up a first-round TKO win over Abdellah Er-Ramy. It was Finney’s third victory on DWCS, a first in the show’s history.

“I’m going to be honest with you, along with my teammate Trevor Peek, being able to go through a lot of these experiences with him – I’m going to be honest with you, I feel like I was already UFC,” Finney told reporters during a post-fight news conference. “When you fight three times on Contender Series, that’s literally, you get a four-fight deal (in the UFC). The heck, I’ve already done three of them, so I already feel like I was in the UFC.

“Going through the walk, all this stuff – I felt comfortable. I was like, I’ve done this enough times. When that UFC debut (comes), obviously, there’s some more added things to that week and to that day, but it’ll be the same for me. It’s like I’ve already looked forward to this. I know what I’m ready for.”

Even though he felt at home, Finney actually wasn’t until UFC CEO Dana White finally extended the undefeated middleweight a contract offer after his third victory. It took a decision, a submission, and a TKO to convince the boss that he was ready to enter the promotion.

Despite being denied twice before, Finney said victory was his primary focus against Er-Ramy (7-2), and he had no intention of deviating from his game plan just to impress the boss as some fighters often do on the show.

“For myself, I said, you know, we’re just going to go out here and do me,” Finney said. “The W is the thing that matters the most. I always go out here and I always have the W as the top of my list. As long as I was going to go out there to win, everything else was going to play into it self, and I just made sure of that. I was like, if we go out here and just do Torrez Finney, nobody can deny you.”

[lawrence-related id=2775528,2775184,2775351]

Dana White: Torrez Finney ‘showed up with a completely different energy’ at DWCS 74

The UFC boss saw a different Torrez Finney at Dana White’s Contender Series 74, leading to a big win and contract offer.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] saw a different [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] at Dana White’s Contender Series 74.

The third time was the charm for Finney (10-0), who finally was able to impress White and earn a UFC contract after stopping Abdellah Er-Ramy (7-2) by first-round TKO on Tuesday at the UFC Apex.

Finney’s first attempt at a UFC contract came in October 2023 when he defeated Yuri Panferov by TKO. He was told then by White that he needed more development. Finney returned to DWCS this season in August and beat Cam Rowston by unanimous decision. That still wasn’t enough to earn Finney a UFC contract as he was heavily criticized by White for his lack of activity between DWCS appearances.

“The way that I try to set my mind when I come into this thing, there’s no bias,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters on Tuesday at the UFC Apex. “When a guy comes in for the third time, I lean more on the side of respect, the fact he’s coming back and saying, ‘OK, then I need to prove myself again.’

“I went through his whole family and him. You can’t deny that kid showed up with a completely different energy tonight. Not just fighting, just his whole attitude and personality were completely different tonight.”

After Finney’s second DWCS appearance in August, he was told by White that he’d get “absolutely decimated” in the UFC.

“That’s what we’re going to find out,” White said after signing Finney. “I told him, ‘You did not impress me. I think you’d get destroyed in this division over here.’ And he went back and, you know, he came back and handled business.”

[lawrence-related id=2775184,2775351]

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

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.

***

Jacobe Smith

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.

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

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

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

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.

Dana White’s Contender Series 74 results: Five winners get contracts, including Torrez Finney’s 3rd chance

Dana White handed out five more contracts on Week 8 of DWCS, including to Torrez Finney, who fought and won for the third time on the show.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 74 event.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.

The eighth week of the eighth season saw 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. In the feature bout at light heavyweight, Kazakhstan’s Diyar Nurgozhay knocked out Bartosz Szewczyk.

The UFC Apex hosts the card, which streamed live on ESPN+.

[lawrence-related id=2775351]

Who won a UFC contract?

At the conclusion of the event, White handed out UFC contracts to all five winners: Diyar Nurgozhay, Alberto Montes, David Martinez, Torrez Finney and Jacobe Smith.

DWCS 74 full results

[autotag]Diyar Nurgozhay[/autotag] def. [autotag]Bartosz Szewczyk[/autotag] via knockout (head kick) – Round 2, 3:32
[autotag]Alberto Montes[/autotag] def. [autotag]Carlos Calderon[/autotag] via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 2, 2:38
[autotag]David Martinez[/autotag] def. [autotag]Xavier Franklin[/autotag] via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
[autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] def. [autotag]Abdellah Er-Ramy[/autotag] via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:10
[autotag]Jacobe Smith[/autotag] def. [autotag]Christien Savoie[/autotag] via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:55

DWCS 74 round-by-round updates

Christien Savoie vs. Jacobe Smith

Round 1 – Savoie opens with a trio of leg kicks before Smith answers with one back. Smith shoots in for a single leg and elevates Savoie above his head and slams him to the mat. He tries to establish top position but Savoie gives up his back and uses the fence to stand up. Smith is still hanging from the waist and pulls Savoie back down then lands some big punches and elbows, one of which opens a cut on the back of Savoie’s head. Savoie scrambles up then is taken back down to the mat. Smith steps over to the back and is working for a rear-naked choke but Savoie stands up. Smith won’t get go of him and scores a slick trip. Smith is overwhelming Savoie, who stands up once more before being reintroduced to the canvas. Savoie already looks out of ideas with roughly 90 seconds remaining and Smith cuts his face open with an elbow. The referee warns Savoie to defend himself and he tries to kick free but has his back taken again. Smith lets him up but then ducks in for a scoop takedown – his sixth takedown of the round. He lands some more elbows to close out the frame.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-8 for Smith.

Round 2 – Savoie comes out with a pair of wild kicks high and to the body. Smith looks completely unintimidated and steps in with some huge punches that barely miss. Savoie is throwing back on the feet but looks concerned about the takedowns as he moves forward. Smith is more content to strike than he was in the first at this moment until Savoie nearly lands a massive knee that leads into a takedown. Smith slides into side control and starts landing some more shots. Savoie is stuck and the referee warns him to defend. Smith keeps chipping away and finally the referee has seen enough and waves it off. Smith gets the TKO and stays undefeated.

Result: Jacobe Smith def. Christien Savoie via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:55
Recap: Oklahoma State wrestler Jacobe Smith slices Christien Savoie en route to TKO
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Smith (9-0), Savoie (10-2-1)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith

Abdellah Er-Ramy vs. Torrez Finney

Round 1 – Finney gets a takedown with a matter of seconds and takes Er-Ramy’s back within 30 seconds. Er-Ramy flips over and Finney moves into mount. Finney latches on an arm-triangle choke and it’s deep just over one minute into the fight. Er-Ramy is squirming and gasping for air as Finney tries to finish it, but he lets it go and takes half guard position. Finney eventually takes the back again and postures up and unloads with punches to force the TKO stoppage. Finney makes history with his third career win on DWCS, then goes to Dana White and dances to the smile of the UFC CEO. Perhaps her finally gets his contract tonight.

Result: Torrez Finney def. Abdellah Er-Ramy via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:10
Recap: Torrez Finney wins for third time, breaks out dance for Dana White
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Finney (10-0), Er-Ramy (7-1)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Eric McMahon

Xavier Franklin vs. David Martinez

Round 1 – Both men are staying just out of range each other in the first couple minutes of the fight. They are trying to connect with hands and feet but are failing to land clean. Franklin is being the early aggressor but Martinez catches him with a hard overhand. Franklin comes back with a stinging jab and straight right. A low blow briefly halts the action, but it goes on and Franklin is back to pressuring. Martinez is landing some good shots from the outside as he circles away from the power of his opponent. He walks into a shot that briefly staggers him but he’s right back to the game plan of sticking and moving. Franklin is landing a few good blows but Martinez shows no fear as he attacks with a flying kick late in the round.

Close opening frame, but MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Martinez.

Round 2 – There’s intensity on the striking exchanges early going. There’s a brief eye poke stoppage as Franklin sticks Martinez, but we’re back to it. Martinez throws a plethora of leg kicks but Franklin counters one and Martinez is staggered. He quickly recovers and comes forward but is tagged again moments later. They keep striking and Franklin shoots for a pair of takedowns with just over two minute remaining. Martinez does well to defend and circles free, but he needs to do something to sway the round back in his favor. Franklin shoots for some more takedowns but Martinez is resisting with powerful leg kicks and multi-strike combinations as he moves forward. There’s some good action late in the round, but no one gets badly rocked.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Franklin, but it was another close one.

Round 3 – Martinez lands the first nice punch of the round less than 15 seconds in then fires home another leg kick to Franklin’s lead left leg. He lands another smashing one that takes the balance of Franklin, who shoots in for a desperation takedown that’s easily rejected. Martinez looks to be the more confident side at this point as he lands a jab and another kick to Franklin’s front leg. Martinez sneaks in an uppercut, followed by two leg kicks. Franklin is still moving forward but it starting to fade and show signs of damage he steps in with a knee to the body. Martinez is bleeding from the right eye but he’s still using solid movement. Martinez lands a superman punch and has the looks as if he’s got this fight won with less than two minutes left. Franklin is trying to make something big happen and swings a head kick, but his energy is running low. Martinez lands another leg kick and another jab. Martinez lands another leg kick to bring his total for the fight to above 30, then starts going high with a head kick and a wheel kick attempt. Martinez is just showing out at this point but he stumbles off a kick and Franklin tries to take him down. No luck, though, and Martinez closes out the fight switching stances and throwing.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Martinez, and he should win a decision here as Dana White comes into the octagon and praises both fighters.

Result: David Martinez def. Xavier Franklin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Martinez (11-1), Franklin (5-1)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith

Carlos Calderon vs. Alberto Montes

Round 1 – It’s an immediate collision in the center of the octagon with both men tagging the chin of the other and slipping all over the place. Calderon slows the pace down with a takedown but he can’t keep Montes down long as he scoots to the fence and works his way upright. Calderon has Montes pressed against the fence but Montes tries to snatch the neck for an anaconda choke. Calderon squirms free and ends up on top. They scramble and now Calderon is looking for a guillotine from the front headlock position. He lets is go and we get some wild scrambles in the following minute with both men getting top position. It’s now Montes in control and he sets up the D’Arce choke. It’s in deep but Calderon is shifting his body and giving his neck space. He eventually frees himself and gets back to the feet. Calderon is throwing heavy with less than 90 seconds left. Montes is obliging in exchanges and it forces Calderon to shoot for takedown that leads to another scramble. They trade to close the round.

MMA Junkie scores a wild round 10-9 for Montes, but it was real close.

Round 2 – Thing pick up right where they left off as they throw punches and kicks from right in front of each other and are landing. There seems to be comfort in what’s being thrown both ways, but Montes is doing some good work from behind his jab. Calderon is moving forward without fear and throwing but he is getting countered with the right hook over and over. Montes is taking over and he reacts to a takedown attempt with a Peruvian necktie attempt! He switches to an anaconda choke and gets the tap! Incredible grappling to close an incredible fight.

Result: Alberto Montes def. Carlos Calderon via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 2, 2:38
Recap: Alberto Montes locks anaconda choke to end entertaining battle vs. Carlos Calderon
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Montes (10-1), Calderon (7-2)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Eric McMahon

Diyar Nurgozhay vs. Bartosz Szewczyk

Round 1 – To the surprise of no one the strikes are coming hard and fast from both sides to start the fight. Szewczyk is working the kicks more while Nurgozhay is focusing on using his hands. Nurgozhay catches a kick from Szewczyk and lands an uppercut in the process of releasing. Szewczyk continues to use leg kicks and now Nurgozhay is timing them with step-in counters. Nurgozhay seems to be waiting for something big and he lands a pair of clean lefts in the process. Szewczyk is starting to do more with his hands but Nurgozhay looks completely composed as the round winds under 60 seconds. There’s a big exchange as we hit 30 seconds but they both come out in the clear. Szewczyk works more kicks late, but nothing is overly impactful.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Nurgozhay, but Szewczyk landed some good kicks.

Round 2 – Nurgozhay hits a second round for just the third time in his career and he looks fine. Szewczyk goes right back to the kicking game while Nurgozhay is sticking true to his boxing. The leg kicks from Szewczyk look like they are starting to take some effect. He tries to go high but it’s blocked by Nurgozhay, who answers with some boxing combinations. Both men are struggling to do anything to change the momentum of the fight, but A is fine with it as his boxing is doing well and he seems to have a hold on the kicking range. Szewczyk finally shoots for the first takedown of the fight with two minutes left, but he’s easily denied and Nurgozhay feed him a knee to the body on the break from the clinch. Szewczyk just misses with an uppercut. A loads up a huge left head kick that lands clean to the face of Szewczyk! He goes flying back and Nurgozhay jumps in with a follow-up punch to close the show. It’s over. Explosive finish by Nurgozhay to stay undefeated.

Result: Diyar Nurgozhay def. Bartosz Szewczyk via knockout (head kick) – Round 2, 3:32
Recap: Diyar Nurgozhay blasts Bartosz Szewczyk with violent head kick
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Nurgozhay (10-0), Szewczyk (8-3-1)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith

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

DWCS 74 video: Torrez Finney wins for third time, breaks out dance for Dana White

Did Torrez Finney finally earn a UFC contract? Regardless, he’s the first fighter to have a 3-0 record on DWCS.

No fighter has won more bouts on Dana White’s Contender Series than [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] – and this one might finally push him into the UFC.

At Dana White’s Contender Series 74, Finney (10-0) hit a three-peat when he finished [autotag]Abdellah Er-Ramy[/autotag] (7-2) with big ground-and-pound shots for a TKO stoppage at 4:10 of Round 1. The middleweight fight took place Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Finney took Er-Ramy down early. He nearly locked an arm-triangle choke but a gurgling Er-Ramy broke the grasp of the bulky Torrez.

Ultimately, it would be punches from back mount, right in front of Dana White, Hunter Campbell, Sean Shelby, and Mick Maynard that would get the job done. Finney then broke out the dance moves, much to the delight of the UFC brass.

VIBES. ARE. HIGH. 🕺#DWCS pic.twitter.com/v7DbUgMSxN

— UFC (@ufc) October 2, 2024

Finney may have finally earned a UFC contract with the win. He competed in 2023 and defeated Yuri Panferov by TKO but was told by White that he needed more development.

Earlier in 2024, Finney returned and beat Cam Rowston by unanimous decision. He received harsh criticism from White, who took exception with Finney’s lack of activity between DWCS appearances. However, Finney later revealed that was in part due to an opportunity on “TUF 31” that fell through.

[lawrence-related id=2775351]

The up-to-the-minute DWCS 74 results include:

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

[vertical-gallery id=2775351]

UFC hopeful Torrez Finney set for third Dana White’s Contender Series appearance

Despite winning two fights on Dana White’s Contender Seires, Torrez Finney has been snubbed for a contract. Will a third time be the charm?

Undefeated middleweight [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] will have a third chance at entering the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series.

Finney (9-0) was recently snubbed on a UFC contract offering from promotion CEO Dana White at DWCS 68 on Aug. 20. After winning a unanimous decision over Cam Rowston, White was not impressed with Finney’s second performance on the show, stating, “You get absolutely decimated in the UFC with the performance you put on tonight.”

In addition, White criticized Finney for only taking one fight since his first DWCS appearance last October, where he submitted Yuri Panferov in the second round.

However, all hope is not lost for Finney, as he will get another crack at earning a contract, joining Don’Tale Mayes and Jamie Pickett as three-time DWCS fighters.

At DWCS 74 on Oct. 1, Finney will fill in for Logan Woods to face [autotag]Abdellah Er-Ramy[/autotag]. MMA Junkie confirmed the news following an Instagram post from Finney and MMA Prospects.

Er-Ramy (7-1) will enter on a six-fight winning streak. His last fight was under the PFL Europe banner, where he stopped Madalin Pirvulescu in the first round with punches. On his current run, he has picked up four stoppages; three in Round 1 and another in Round 2.

With the change, the current DWCS 74 lineup includes:

Abdellah Er-Ramy vs. Torrez Finney
Vanilto Antunes vs. Islam Dulatov
TBA vs. TBA
TBA vs. TBA
TBA vs. TBA

[lawrence-related id=2766793,2765058,2762846]

Dana White’s Contender Series 68: 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 68.

Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2024) took place Tuesday, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Since its inception in 2017, 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, here are the grades for the winning fighters – regardless of whether or not they earned a UFC contract – and an assessment of their probability to return to a UFC stage.

Cody Haddon

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 20: (R-L) Cody Haddon of Australia secures a rear choke submission against Billy Brand in a bantamweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series, season eight week two on August 20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Bantamweight
Result: Cody Haddon def. Billy Brand via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:09
Grade: A

Summary: In what was easily the most impressive performance of the night, [autotag]Cody Haddon[/autotag] earns an easy A for finishing Billy Brand.

Haddon, who had to travel a long way from Western Australia to compete on the Contender Series, appears to have the well-rounded game that is practically a prerequisite at 135 pounds. From serviceable takedowns to savvy striking, Haddon steadily pressured his way into offensive opportunities, allowing little openings for Brand to get going.

Brand appeared to have some slick looks himself, but the American got caught on the strong side of his shelling defense with a beautiful left hook from Haddon that sent him to the floor.

Although going to the ground with a hurt opponent can be a big no-no in my book, Haddon displayed excellent technique and killer instinct when pursuing a finish on the floor, smartly punching in his arm at an opportune time for the rear-naked choke finish.

Seeing Dana White sign Haddon was a no-brainer. I wouldn’t mind seeing Haddon thrown in there with someone like Steven Koslow or even Gaston Bolanos, but I suspect that the UFC will pair him up with someone from his side of the world like Quang Le on the next show in Australia or Asia.

Torrez Finney

Weight class: Middleweight
Result: Torrez Finney def. Cam Rowston via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Grade: D

Summary: Despite this being his second swing at bat on the Contender Series, I had a hard time justifying a good grade for [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag].

Between backing himself up to the fence to his questionable punch parrying, Finney puts himself in some precarious stylistic positions as a 5-foot-8 middleweight.

Dana White was brutally honest with Finney come contract time, and I can’t say that I disagree with the UFC president considering the limited nature of Finney’s game.

Whether Finney can make welterweight or not, he’s going to need his coaches to force him to learn some proper footwork and a double jab (or other range weapons like kicks, obviously) if he means to meaningfully connect to his strengths and compete at this level.

I know White is quick to praise his matchmakers, but I often wonder how he feels when he’s continually fed fighters who are still too green (even at this level of recruitment) for the UFC.

Cortavious Romious

Weight class: Bantamweight
Result: Cortavious Romious def. Michael Impesato via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Grade: C-

Summary: Despite initially wanting to give [autotag]Cortavious Romious[/autotag] a higher grading, I found myself continually dropping the American a whole letter grade, at times, for his ultra-questionable fight IQ that Dana White rightfully criticized.

I know that we all hate when fighters decide to grapple their opponents after clearly hurting them on the feet, but doing so on a liver shot is twice as bad in my book given how crushing a blow that is (as well as the fact that judges are bad enough and properly valuing bodywork even when you allow your opponent to demonstrate their discomfort). So seeing Romious completely get off the bodywork and grapple a hurt Impesato was maddening, to say the least.

The second letter grade deduction came midway through the third round once I realized that Romious was ignoring both his coach’s direction and the common sense of the situation by letting off the gas completely in the final round (against a gassed fighter who doesn’t own a knockout win on his record, mind you).

I’m not surprised that White ended up signing Romious considering how UFC recruitment trends have traditionally relied on this show, but I hope that the American relies a lot less on working from his back for armbars given the talent that exists in the UFC’s 135-pound shark tank. That said, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Romious paired up with the likes of Chang Ho Lee or Angel Pacheco for his first official assignment.

Rizvan Kaniev

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 20: (L-R) Rizvan Kuniev of Russia punches Hugo Cunha of Brazil in a heavyweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series, season eight week two on August 20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Heavyweight
Result: Rizvan Kaniev def. Hugo Cunha via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
Grade: B

Summary: Although [autotag]Rizvan Kaniev[/autotag] ended up getting the job done, he didn’t have enough “rizz” to earn anything higher than a B from me this time out.

Despite getting a buzzer-beater stoppage in the first frame, Kaniev’s opponent, Hugo Cunha, appeared ready to crumble from Jump Street.

Between backing himself up to the fence and his terrible defensive reactions, Cunha was a borderline masochist with the way he was inviting Kaniev to do his worst. That said, when Kaniev did bite down and commit to offense, he proved that he’s capable of putting together fight-ending attacks in closed quarters (something that always comes in handy at heavyweight).

I wasn’t shocked to see Dana White sign the Russian fighter, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Kuniev take part in his fair share of low-output slogs that seem to make up the majority of matchups in this division. Considering his region, don’t be surprised to see Kuniev booked on the next Abu Dhabi card opposite someone like Valter Walker.

Andreas Gustafsson

Weight class: Welterweight
Result: Andreas Gustafsson def. Pat Pytlik via TKO (knees) – Round 2, 3:20
Grade: A

Summary: Looking like a man on a mission, I found it hard to deny [autotag]Andreas Gustafsson[/autotag] an A for disposing of a tough Pat Pytlik.

Looking like a muscled-up super soldier who fights at light heavyweight, Gustafsson appears to be a well-fueled welterweight operator who knows how to handle himself in closed quarters.

Pytlik, who looks like the love child of Gerald Meerschaert and Alan Ruck, was able to catch Gustafsson a few times on his way inside. Unfortunately for the Canadian, Gustafsson was as intent as a Viking on a Berzerker raid when it came to plying his brand of clinch warfare.

It’s nice to see a fighter embrace an underrated phase of MMA that I feel many have trended away from, so I’m curious to see what Gustfsson can do with his newly acquired UFC contract.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gustafsson booked on the next European card, likely against someone like Sam Patterson or Kiefer Crosbie.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 68.

Video: Dana White’s Contender Series alum’s brutal KO perfectly filmed from craziest angle you might ever see

Holy crap, the brutality.

As UFC 301 was playing out some 4,500 miles away in Rio de Janeiro, [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] was in Jacksonville, Fla., making a strong case for himself to join the UFC.

Finney, who was denied a UFC contract despite a second-round submission win last year on Dana White’s Contender Series, delivered an absolutely scintillating one-punch knockout of opponent Tyson Jeffries on Saturday at Combat Night. What’s even crazier is the fact that it was caught on video from a perfect cageside angle for us to clearly see and hear the brutality.

Check this out (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6kbcfNM7Io/?hl=en

“Is he ready, Dana White?”

Something tells us the UFC boss soon could be making a phone call to undefeated Finney (7-0) – either with an offer to be a short-notice replacement or a second opportunity on Contender Series.

Dana White’s Contender Series 66 results: Record amount of UFC contracts eclipsed in Season 7 finale

Season 7, Week 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series goes down Tuesday, and MMA Junkie will have live results from on-site at the UFC Apex.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie reported from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 66 event.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with promotion CEO Dana White on hand to make the decisions at the UFC Apex. Tuesday’s episode was the 10th and final of the show’s seventh season.

White was once again in a generous mood as he eclipsed the previous record of 43 as he offered contract Nos. 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46 on the season. Five of the six winners received UFC deals: bantamweight Lucas Rocha, lightweight [autotag]Marquel Mederos[/autotag], featherweight [autotag]Connor Matthews[/autotag], flyweight [autotag]Andre Lima[/autotag], and bantamweight [autotag]Ramon Taveras[/autotag] this week.

The lone fighter who did not receive a contract was middleweight [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag], a physical specimen who finished [autotag]Yuri Panferov[/autotag] by second-round rear-naked choke.

White said Finney needed more time to develop and that he’d be doing the fighter a disservice by bringing him into the UFC now.

Additionally, White announced Taveras’ UFC debut – a rare move due to rare circumstances. Taveras will rematch [autotag]Serhiy Sidey[/autotag], a fighter he lost to in controversial fashion due to a premature stoppage earlier in the season.

Full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 66 include:

Ramon Taveras def. Cortavious Romious via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:29
Andre Lima def. Rickson Zenidim via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Connor Matthews def. Jair Farias via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Torrez Finney def. Yuri Panferov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:43
Marquel Mederos def. Issa Isakov via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 4:09
Lucas Rocha def. Davi Bittencourt via knockout (knee) – Round 2, 0:18

Continue reading below for more details about each fight.