Dana White's Contender Series 68: Grading the winners

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

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, Cody Haddon 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 Torrez Finney.

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 Cortavious Romious 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

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

Summary: Although Rizvan Kaniev 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 Andreas Gustafsson 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.