Dana White’s Contender Series 78 took place Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
With a refreshing 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 whom the UFC matchmakers can use for future events. So, with that trend in mind, I will once again be taking a look at the winning fighters regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, grading their performances in regards to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.
Ramiro Jimenez
Weight class: Featherweight
Result: Ramiro Jimenez def. Tommy Cuozzi via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:53
Grade: A
Summary: Kicking off the night in stunning fashion was Ramiro Jimenez, who earns a solid A for his quick finish of Tommy Cuozzi.
Sure, Jimenez may have been a 5-1 betting favorite coming in, but the Mexican fighter sure looked every bit the part with his southpaw savvy.
From beautiful, building bodywork to his pro-level patience and composure, Jimenez appears to be UFC-ready getting off the bus. I know Jimenez has a slew of submissions on his record, but I’d love to see more of his ground game against a higher level of opposition.
Although I could see the UFC booking him opposite someone like John Yannis for his promotional debut, I’d love to see him booked against a fellow undefeated fighter like Yoo-joo Sang right out of the gates for guaranteed fireworks.
Josh Hokit
Weight class: Heavyweight
Result: Josh Hokit def. Guilherme Uriel via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:06
Grade: A
Summary: Despite his bigoted comments pre and post-fight, I can’t deny Josh Hokit an A when grading his fighting from a performance perspective.
Sure, the bar may be inherently lower at heavyweight, but anyone who can competently wrestle can do some serious damage in this division.
Though I expect we’ll see more of Hokit’s striking as time goes on, the American displayed a fairly fluid ability to transition through the phases, mixing in strikes throughout. From smart riding positions to punishing ground and pound, Hokit has some key tools that could be menacing for the majority of heavyweights on this current UFC roster.
I’m not too worried about Hokit’s size given his wrestling ability, but I will be curious to see if that aspect becomes more of a factor further down the road.
Given the UFC’s history of backing polarizing products like Hokit, don’t be surprised if the matchmakers are somewhat cautious in building the 5-0 fighter. For that reason, I suspect we’ll see him matched up with someone like Sean Sharaf on a North American card before the year’s end.
Louis Lee Scott
Weight class: Bantamweight
Result: Louis Lee Scott def. Kaushik Saikumar via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 2:20
Grade: A
Summary: Despite missing weight by half a pound and finding himself in some precarious positions throughout the fight, I had a hard time denying Louis Lee Scott anything short of an A for the savvy he showed opposite Kaushik Saikumar.
Though I’m sure Scott and his coaches will be noting the spinning attacks that got them into some trouble, the Englishman displayed some solid submission defense against an incredibly sticky fighter like Saikumar (who was trained and cornered by Ryan Hall).
Scott is an incredibly fun and dynamic bantamweight who can put together some wicked combos, so signing him was a no-brainer. I hope we see him booked opposite fighters like Quang Le or Ramon Taveras on the next UK or Middle East events.
Cam Rowston
Weight class: Middleweight
Result: Cam Rowston def. Cameron Holmes via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:58
Grade: A
Summary: Although it was another quick night at the office, it was difficult to deny Cam Rowston anything short of an A for stopping Cameron Holmes in what was his second swing at bat in this series.
Despite dropping a decision to Torrez Finney in his first stint on the Contender Series, Rowston was able to string together three wins en route to this contract-winning performance.
Many thought the path of least resistance could be on the floor for Rowston, but the City Kickboxing product was able to show off some of the striking he’s been working on over at BangTao Muay Thai.
From a wicked right hand to solid elbows off of frames, Rowston appears to be a well-trained middleweight who is still making strides in his game. For that reason, I hope that they don’t throw Rowston right to the wolves.
However, with Dana White insisting that we see Rowston make a quick turnaround on the next Perth card, we could see the Australian matched up with anyone from Antonio Trocoli to the UFC’s new favorite toy – Baysangur Susurkaev.
Jose Delano
Weight class: Featherweight
Result: Jose Delano def. Manuel Exposito via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Grade: A
Summary: Despite being the lone decision of the card, only a casual would award Jose Delano anything less than an A for his complete and composed domination of Manuel Exposito.
I know I give the current UFC matchmakers a lot of guff when it comes to their love of middleweights and rematches alike, but when Sean Shelby (someone who absolutely knows his stuff about this game) says that Delano is the most UFC-ready fighter from this season of the Contender Series, you’d best be paying attention.
A Shooto Brazil champion who trains under the legendary former UFC middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante, Delano comes in with a fully fledged MMA game.
Delano, who mainly operates out of southpaw, can smoothly shift stances when he needs to and offers building offense and bodywork from both sides. The Brazilian is very competent with kimura applications, utilizing attempts to create some crafty reversals that were on display last night.
I’m sure Delano’s deceptive wrestling and counter wrestling abilities will be further tested as he progresses, but I’m happy to see the Shooto and LFA vet signed to the promotion. Although I’d love to see Delano eventually run it back against Gabriel Santos, I suspect we’ll see the Brazilian booked in action fights against anyone ranging from Bogdan Grad to Kevin Vallejos before the year’s end.
