Dana White’s Contender Series: Season Six, Week Six Recap
Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) returned on Aug. 30 for Season Six, Week Six. This episode brought ten UFC hopefuls to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada to compete for a UFC contract. The premise of the show is simple, impress Dana White and earn a UFC contract. This week we saw five fighters walk away with UFC contracts. Here is a rundown of how each fighter was able to earn their contract.
Yusaku Kinoshita — Welterweight
Yusaku Kinoshita fought Jose Henrique in this week’s DWCS main event. Both fighters looked great. If you put these two on the prelims of a UFC card, I would not have second guessed their ability to fight in the promotion. Ultimately, after two close rounds, Kinoshita landed a picture-perfect pull counter that sat Henrique down. After a couple of ground-and-pound shots, the fight was over.
Kinoshita has a mix of already established skills and potential. His striking is very advanced and at 22 years old, he has plenty of time to improve. Kinoshita did a great job of managing range against Henrique despite being significantly smaller. At the same time, Kinoshita displayed the ability to switch stances, feint, and throw damaging leg kicks while moving swiftly across the cage. These are all traits that can elevate Kinoshita to UFC success. At this point, Kinoshita has a high ceiling in the UFC.
Sedriques Dumas — Middleweight
Sedrique Dumas lit up the UFC Apex, submitting Matej Penaz with a standing guillotine in just 47 seconds. When you are able to do that, there is no question White will reward you with a UFC contract. Dumas did more than simply show a knack for finding a submission. He landed a nice left hook after feinting a body shot and transitioned straight to a body lock takedown as well. I would chalk Dumas up as the type of fighter that is constantly looking for a finish. That makes him an exciting addition to the UFC roster.
My favorite part about Dumas was the energy he brought to the UFC Apex. After the fight, he was all smiles while he danced his way through the building. Plus, he was good on the microphone. I do not know how good Dumas will be in the UFC, but I can confidently say he will excite and entertain fans every time he shows up to fight.
Mateusz Rebecki — Lightweight
Mateusz Rebecki earned a UFC contract by submitting Rodrigo Lidio with a rear-naked choke in the first round. Rebecki had to fight through some early adversity as Lidio landed an early head kick. He was able to turn the tides in his favor after landing a nice takedown. From there, he controlled position until eventually finding the rear-naked choke.
In all honesty, Rebecki seemed to have a cakewalk of a watch-up. That is not to say Lidio was bad, but it was evident his biggest weakness was his defensive grappling. This provided Rebecki the opportunity to lean on his grappling, his biggest asset, for a dominant victory. To clarify, that does not mean Rebecki did not deserve a UFC contract. It does not mean he will fizzle out early. However, we do need to see his grappling put to the test against better defensive grapplers before that call is made.
Blake Bilder — Featherweight
Blade Bilder seemed to be outmanned early in his fight with Alex Morgan. Morgan was doing a great job of controlling the octagon and managing the fight’s pace while being sound defensively. However, Bilder was able to create an opportunity for himself. He landed a solid punch behind Morgan’s ear that slightly wobbled the Canadian. After, he promptly took Morgan’s back and looked to finish the fight. He did just that, finishing the fight in the first round with a rear-naked choke. On DWCS, a first-round finish is usually enough to earn a UFC contract. That stood true for Bilder.
At 32 years old, Bilder does not have as much potential as other DWCS alums. That does not mean he cannot do good work in the promotion, but he has less time on his hands than most.
Viktoriya Dudakova — Women’s Strawweight
Viktoriya Dudakova was the only winner that did not finish their fight; however, she impressed White enough to earn a UFC contract. This is because she dominated all three rounds of her fight with Maria Silva. She did this while pushing through a pre-fight injury which was reaggravated during the bout. This makes her domination even more impressive.
In the fight, she showed great takedowns from the clinch. From the top, she controlled the position, but she struggled to advance out of full guard. She made it to side control late in the fight and she was able to land some heavy ground-and-pound.
I believe this signing was based on potential. Dudakova is only 23 years old, and she has a strong grappling base. If she improves in certain positions and areas, she will be a tough fighter to beat. Since she is young, she may be able to make those improvements. I feel confident in saying if Dudakova was closer to 30, she would have left DWCS empty-handed.
