Dana White’s Contender Collection 68 grades: Which winners stood out?

Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Collection (2024) befell 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 collection has proven to have legs in a number of methods whereas serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future occasions. With that pattern in thoughts, listed here are the grades for the successful fighters – no matter whether or not or not they earned a UFC contract –  and an evaluation of their likelihood to return to a UFC stage.

Cody Haddon

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 20: (R-L) Cody Haddon of Australia secures a rear choke submission towards Billy Model in a bantamweight combat throughout Dana White’s Contender Collection, season eight week two on August 20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Bantamweight
Outcome: Cody Haddon def. Billy Model through submission (rear-naked choke) – Spherical 1, 3:09
Grade: A

Abstract: In what was simply essentially the most spectacular efficiency of the evening, Cody Haddon earns a simple A for ending Billy Model.

Haddon, who needed to journey a good distance from Western Australia to compete on the Contender Collection, seems to have the well-rounded sport that’s virtually a prerequisite at 135 kilos. From serviceable takedowns to savvy putting, Haddon steadily pressured his method into offensive alternatives, permitting little openings for Model to get going.

Model appeared to have some slick appears himself, however the American acquired caught on the sturdy facet of his shelling protection with a phenomenal left hook from Haddon that despatched him to the ground.

Though going to the bottom with a harm opponent generally is a massive no-no in my ebook, Haddon displayed glorious approach and killer intuition when pursuing a end on the ground, neatly punching in his arm at an opportune time for the rear-naked choke end.

Seeing Dana White signal Haddon was a no brainer. I wouldn’t thoughts seeing Haddon thrown in there with somebody like Steven Koslow and even Gaston Bolanos, however I believe that the UFC will pair him up with somebody from his facet of the world like Quang Le on the subsequent present in Australia or Asia.

Torrez Finney

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 20: (R-L) Torrez Finney punches Cam Rowston of Australia in a middleweight combat throughout Dana White’s Contender Collection, season eight week two on August 20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Middleweight
Outcome: Torrez Finney def. Cam Rowston through unanimous choice (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Grade: D

Abstract: Regardless of this being his second swing at bat on the Contender Collection, I had a tough time justifying a great grade for Torrez Finney.

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

Dana White was brutally sincere with Finney come contract time, and I can’t say that I disagree with the UFC president contemplating the restricted nature of Finney’s sport.

Whether or not Finney could make welterweight or not, he’s going to wish his coaches to power him to study some correct footwork and a double jab (or different vary weapons like kicks, clearly) if he means to meaningfully connect with his strengths and compete at this degree.

I do know White is fast to reward his matchmakers, however I usually surprise how he feels when he’s regularly fed fighters who’re nonetheless too inexperienced (even at this degree of recruitment) for the UFC.

Cortavious Romious

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 20: (L-R) Cortavious Romious kicks Michael Imperato of Canada in a light-weight combat throughout Dana White’s Contender Collection, season eight week two on August 20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Bantamweight
Outcome: Cortavious Romious def. Michael Impesato through unanimous choice (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Grade: C-

Abstract: Regardless of initially wanting to present Cortavious Romious a better grading, I discovered myself regularly dropping the American an entire letter grade, at instances, for his ultra-questionable combat IQ that Dana White rightfully criticized.

I do know that all of us hate when fighters resolve to grapple their opponents after clearly hurting them on the ft, however doing so on a liver shot is twice as unhealthy in my ebook given how crushing a blow that’s (in addition to the truth that judges are unhealthy sufficient and correctly valuing bodywork even while you enable your opponent to reveal their discomfort). So seeing Romious fully get off the bodywork and grapple a harm Impesato was maddening, to say the least.

The second letter grade deduction got here halfway by the third spherical as soon as I spotted that Romious was ignoring each his coach’s route and the widespread sense of the state of affairs by letting off the fuel fully within the ultimate spherical (towards a gassed fighter who doesn’t personal a knockout win on his report, thoughts you).

I’m not stunned that White ended up signing Romious contemplating how UFC recruitment tendencies have historically relied on this present, however I hope that the American depends lots much less on working from his again for armbars given the expertise that exists within the UFC’s 135-pound shark tank. That mentioned, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Romious paired up with the likes of Chang Ho Lee or Angel Pacheco for his first official project.

Rizvan Kaniev

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

Weight class: Heavyweight
Outcome: Rizvan Kaniev def. Hugo Cunha through TKO (punches) – Spherical 1, 4:59
Grade: B

Abstract: Though Rizvan Kaniev ended up getting the job performed, he didn’t have sufficient “rizz” to earn something greater than a B from me this outing.

Regardless of getting a buzzer-beater stoppage within the first body, Kaniev’s opponent, Hugo Cunha, appeared able to crumble from Bounce Road.

Between backing himself as much as the fence and his horrible defensive reactions, Cunha was a borderline masochist with the way in which he was inviting Kaniev to do his worst. That mentioned, when Kaniev did chunk down and decide to offense, he proved that he’s able to placing collectively fight-ending assaults in closed quarters (one thing that at all times turns out to be useful at heavyweight).

I wasn’t shocked to see Dana White signal the Russian fighter, however I additionally wouldn’t be stunned to see Kuniev participate in his justifiable share of low-output slogs that appear to make up the vast majority of matchups on this division. Contemplating his area, don’t be stunned to see Kuniev booked on the subsequent Abu Dhabi card reverse somebody like Valter Walker.

Andreas Gustafsson

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 20: (L-R) Andreas Gustafsson of Sweden punches Pat Pytlik of Canada in a welterweight combat throughout Dana White’s Contender Collection, season eight week two on August 20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Welterweight
Outcome: Andreas Gustafsson def. Pat Pytlik through TKO (knees) – Spherical 2, 3:20
Grade: A

Abstract: Wanting like a person on a mission, I discovered it laborious to disclaim Andreas Gustafsson an A for disposing of a troublesome Pat Pytlik.

Wanting like a muscled-up tremendous soldier who fights at mild heavyweight, Gustafsson seems to be a well-fueled welterweight operator who is aware of easy methods to deal with himself in closed quarters.

Pytlik, who appears just like the love little one of Gerald Meerschaert and Alan Ruck, was capable of catch Gustafsson a number of instances on his method inside. Sadly for the Canadian, Gustafsson was as intent as a Viking on a Berzerker raid when it got here to plying his model of clinch warfare.

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

I wouldn’t be stunned to see Gustafsson booked on the subsequent European card, doubtless towards somebody like Sam Patterson or Kiefer Crosbie.

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for DWCS 68.