Dana White's Contender Series 92: Grading new UFC contract winners

· Yahoo Sports

Week 6of Dana White's Contender Series (2026) 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.

Visit forestarrow.rest for more information.

Tyshawn Williams

Kicking off the night was a featherweight fight between Tyshawn Williams and Antonio Monteiro that turned into a bit of a grinding slog despite a hot start from Williams. 

Earning a 10-8 on two of the cage-side judges' scorecards, Williams came out of the gate landing everything from shifting right hands to emphatic takedowns that shook the octagon in a way that you usually only see in the heavier weight classes. But with Mansur Abdul-Malik warning us about Williams' strength in the pre-fight package, then perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised.

Unfortunately for Williams, he started to slow visibly in the second frame after exerting himself too much early on. Monteiro, the more experienced man out of Nova Uniao, picked up the second round on all three judges' scorecards before succumbing to some key takedowns in the final frame.

Williams looked disappointed in himself post-fight, but fights like these are more than necessary in a young prospect's early career (especially if they're used to winning quickly). Although I'd love to see Williams in the UFC and hear more of that sweet Baltimore accent that brought me back to watching "The Wire," I can understand Dana White's request for a second look on the show before signing the former Division 1 wrestler. 

Luis Hernandez

In a fight that was wild while it lasted, Luis Hernandez earns a solid A for bringing everything from an exciting fighting style to a well-prepared post-fight speech.

Despite being significantly shorter than his French foe Hugo Guillon, Hernandez was able to steal the striking initiative with his southpaw arsenal and pressure, unleashing a slew of Thai kicks to the head and body that had follow-up hooks in tow.

Guillon was able to effectively steer and outstrike Hernandez once he finally figured out how to somewhat fight to his frame, but the Frenchman foolishly sold out for sacrificial front chokes after hurting his American counterpart. And once allowed a beat to recover, Hernandez quickly picked up the proverbial pack by jumping on the back of a huffing Guillon for a submission win of his own.

Since seeing Hernandez in a cage again with Sean Strickland or Chris Curtis is currently out of reach for Miami-Dade Sheriff for obvious reasons, then give us a spiritual rematch of sorts by pairing Hernandez with another Xtreme Couture MMA fighter in Donte Johnson for his first UFC assignment.

Akbar Abdullaev

Earning an easy and obligatory A is Akbar Abdullaev for making quick work of Ednilson Santos.

Despite this being a squash match of epic proportions, the UFC signing someone like Abdullaev comes as little surprise to those of us in the know (as Abdullaev is yet another fighter from my prospects to watch column who makes it to the big show with style points). And though there's not much to grade or go off of in this performance, I can assure you that Abdullaev is a well-equipped fighter in every phase, ranging from dynamic striking to excellent wrestling. 

It's a shame that high-level fighters like Abdullaev have to come through the Contender Series considering the show's notoriously low-paying contracts, which is likely part of the reason that Abdullaev and fighters like him are so eager to start knocking fights off their contract out of the gate. But I digress.

Although I could see the UFC brass trying to feed Abdullaev a showcase spot on their next international card, the Kyrgyzstani is a fighter whom I believe can be plug-and-play material against ranked opposition from a talent perspective. My prediction is that someone like Richie Miranda will serve as solid middleground and a more than respectable test for Abdullaev's first official assignment. 

Igor Cavalcanti

Earning an A on a successful second swing at bat is Igor Cavalcanti for putting away Oscar Ravello in violent fashion.

Between no longer sporting an afro and bulking up to middleweight, Cavalcanti came out like an unrecognizable Brazilian tank. 

Pressuring Ravello from the start, Cavalcanti smothered his Peruvian counterpart with everything from combination punches to slick trips and takedowns from the clinch. And once Cavalcanti was able to ground Ravello, he unleashed ferocious ground strikes that forced the referee to halt the action.

Although I still need to see Cavalcanti further tested past the first frame, this weight class jump looks like a positive one for the Brazilian, and I'm glad that Dana White signed him (though not as glad as Mick Maynard, who you know can't wait to book the newly-minted middleweight on a Fight Night main card in the near future). 

I don't think Cavalcanti will have his wish to fight on this weekend's card granted, but I can see him getting booked before year's end opposite someone like Vlasto Cepo or Treston Vines.

Mayton Perea

Earning an obligatory A is Mayton Perea, who closes the show by quickly putting away Zevan "Cheese" Hunt.

Hunt had quite the crowd come into the Apex to support him, but unfortunately for the American, "the cheese stands alone."

.oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}

https://bavatuesdays.com/pager-paranoia-on-the-gif-wire/

But my silly references to "The Wire" aside, Perea looks like the second-coming of his fellow Ecuadorian, Michael Morales.

Like Morales, Perea is also a national wrestling champion who is developing a penchant for putting people out on the feet. Although Perea is still super green with some classic welterweight jank in tow, the 26-year-old works well off hand traps and smartly mixes in body shots.

Perea also seems to have his head in the right place when transitioning through phases, which makes me curious if his early losses are a classic product of youthful eagerness mixed with poor management. Signing Perea was a no-brainer, and I expect to see the product of Ecuador turned around sooner rather than later – likely opposite names like Leon Shahbazyan or Eric Nolan should they win their next fights. 

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White's Contender Series 92: Grading new UFC contract winners

Read full story at source