DWCS 68: Grades and Next Matchups for Tuesday Night's Winners

A group of highly touted prospects put on a largely lackluster night of fights on the second episode of 2024 in Dana White's Contender Series. Four contracts were given out despite a couple of disappointing performances, particularly in comparison to the first week of fighters. Below are grades and next matchups for the winners who got to sign the contract, and only a grade for the one who didn't quite make the cut.

• Cody Haddon: A

• UFC Debut Matchup: Angel Pacheco

All of the fighters who followed Haddon were unable to replicate his performance. After a bit of exchanging on the feet to begin round one, Haddon found a crushing left hook that instantly sat his opponent down. The Aussie continued by showing veteran poise, methodically hunting down a rear-naked choke instead of looking for a big knockout finish. It was a well-rounded, intelligent performance from Haddon, one that guaranteed him a shot at the big show. An appropriate first test would be a matchup with Angel Pacheco, a 2023 Contender Series alum. Pacheco lost his fight on the Contender Series and his debut in the UFC, so it's fair to reevaluate his staying power in a matchup with a very talented up-and-comer.

• Torrez Finney: C-

• UFC Debut Matchup: N/A

One might have expected Finney to refine his skillset after winning on the Contender Series in 2023 but walking away without a contract. Instead, the 5'8" middleweight employed the same plodding style that failed to earn him a UFC berth in his first try. Finney was effective in the wrestling department, landing takedown after takedown, but his standup was shockingly poor. Defensively, his opponent landed almost at will to the body and head with a variety of strikes as Finney failed to move his head, parry, or counter effectively. He also refused to throw any strike beside his right overhand, a tendency that revealed how raw he really is in the striking department. Dana White was correct in his assessment of Finney and a second refusal of a UFC contract, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 25-year-old back on the Contender Series stage next year.

• Cortavious Romious: C+

• UFC Debut Matchup: Serhiy Sidey

Another guy taking his second crack on the Contender Series stage, Cortavious Romious didn't quite live up to the expectations surrounding his return to the octagon. Coming into the fight as a -350 favorite against Michael Imperato, Romious was clearly the better fighter everywhere. Imperato was hurt and nearly finished multiple times on the feet, and Romious was able to out-grapple Imperato as the latter continually pulled guard. Despite that dominance, Romious failed to score a finish, putting a disappointing stamp on his second performance in the promotion. Sidey, yet another 2023 Contender Series alum who's 0-1 in the UFC, is the perfect guy to challenge Romious in his debut. Both are explosive strikers, and both desperately need a win to reassert themselves in the eyes of fans and the promotion's brass.

• Rizvan Kuniev: B+

• UFC Debut Matchup: Lukasz Brzeski

After a bit of a slow start, Kuniev got down to business and did what the oddsmakers expected him to do in the form of a first-round knockout of Hugo Kunha. It was an excellent performance, but it's hard to take away too much from a fight that saw so few strikes thrown and so little actual octagon time. The shallow nature of the heavyweight division will allow Kuniev to get right into the action against Lukasz Brzeski, a man who somehow maintains a bit of name value while losing four of his five fights in the octagon. Kuniev should open as a heavy favorite in the fight, and a win immediately puts him just outside the rankings.

• Andreas Gustafsson: B+

• UFC Debut Matchup: Billy Goff

Gustafsson showed why he was tabbed as the main event fighter. Utilizing relentless forward pressure, nice dirty boxing, and devastating knees and elbows, the Swede drove his opponent, Pat Pytlik, to the point of exhaustion, eventually ending the fight with a knee that landed flush on the jaw. It was a performance of pure cardio, guts, and bad intentions. Gustafsson has openly acknowledged that he isn't the most technical fighter out there, but his unrelenting style is usually enough to break whoever stands across from him in the cage. Billy Goff is a guy who fights in the same way, making this a picture-perfect mirror match for the two. A fight between the two wouldn't be pretty, but it would feature incredible durability, cardio, and bloodshed. There's no better way to introduce Gustafsson to a UFC audience than that.