Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 8, Episode 9 Recap

Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 8, Episode 9 Recap

Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 8, Episode 9 was one of the most productive episodes of this season. At the end of the night, four fighters walked away with UFC contracts. Those fighters are likely the best group of prospects to enter the UFC. It features top-end talent and high-upside prospects while omitting bad fighters who can’t cut it in the promotion. Here is what you can expect from the newest crop of UFC fighters. The best prospects are listed at the top of the post.

Kody Steele- Lightweight

Kody Steele is the top prospect from this DWCS episode. The 29-year-old lightweight landed a second-round knockout against Chasen Blair to earn a contract.

This was an impressive fight for Steele. Blair’s solid grappling game made it difficult for Steele to utilize his BJJ skills. That made this a striking matchup. In the early exchanges, Blair was finding success. This was largely because of his karate style. He showed solid footwork, impressive kicks, and strong counters. Eventually, the tide turned and Steele began to land shots. This was because he made some technical adjustments and Blair slowed down a little bit.

Steele pressured Blair for the entire fight. This led to a ton of boxing exchanges. In those moments, both fighters landed, but Steele landed more often and with much more impact. This was done with big hooks and body shots. It was a hook to the body that ended the fight. Plus, Steele had strong straight shots when he opted to throw those weapons.

Steele showed a lot of traits that will help him find success in the lightweight division. In terms of physical tools, he is strong, physical, and has cardio. That is present alongside a well-rounded skillset with striking and grappling skills. The biggest area of concern for Steele is that he is a risk-taker when he strikes. That could result in getting caught against elite lightweights.

Steele is a promising prospect that should be able to get wins in the UFC. The lightweight division is difficult, but he has the tools required to find success. That makes him one of the best prospects for this season of DWCS.

Artem Vakhitov- Light Heavyweight

Artem Vakhitov earned a contract on DWCS with a first-round knockout against Islem Masraf. The former kickboxer is a unique prospect to enter the UFC through DWCS.

Vakhitov showed his kickboxing background in this fight. In the clinch, he was controlling his opponent and landing knees. In striking exchanges, he was quick, precise, and powerful.

The caveat on this fight is that Masraf was not very good. In the clinch, he was trying to grapple, but he was horrible at it. Masraf even ended on top for a second, but he got overaggressive and lost position.

Vakhitov is going to have an interesting UFC career. The former Glory light heavyweight champion fought Alex Pereira twice in kickboxing. The pair split the series as each walked away with a win. It is evident the UFC is going to try and set up an MMA bout between the two. In turn, Vakhitov will likely be given easy matchmaking as he works his way towards a title fight.

In the UFC, Vakhitov will have the striking to compete. In all likelihood, he will not have nearly good enough grappling. That said, he probably will not fight a grappler. We have seen the heights that Pereira has managed to reach because he has never been forced to fight a grappler. I expect Vakhitov to receive similar treatment.

I will throw Vakhitov in the basket of quality fighters with high upside. That is an honest assessment of his overall skillset. Still, we will likely see a higher-end outcome because he will receive beneficial matchmaking that does not expose his flaws.

Islam Dulatov- Welterweight

Islam Dulatov landed a highlight reel knockout on DWCS. The 26-year-old landed a brutal step-in elbow to put Vanilto Antunes out cold.

Dulatov showed some very impressive skills. This began with his length. At six-foot-three, he holds a 75-inch reach. That is notable for the welterweight division. More importantly, he is capable of using that length. Dulatov has a great jab and is straight. On top of that, he used his length to land the elbow that ended the fight.

Dulatov often opted to get in the pocket and disregard his length advantage. On the inside, he was ripping hooks to the head and body. The speed and power in his shots made him dangerous.

It will be interesting to see how Dulatov’s career progresses. If he opts to be a pocket boxer, I could see a lot of things going wrong. That said, if he becomes disciplined and uses his skills to find success at range, he will be a problem. It should also be noted that his cardio is completely untested and may be awful.

Dulatov is a high-upside swing and could be a great UFC fighter. At the same time, it is not far-fetched to see him become an entertaining fighter who takes losses because of his aggressive style.

Mario Pinto- Heavyweight

The final signee from this episode of DWCS was Mario Pinto. The 26-year-old heavyweight earned a contract with a first-round knockout against Lucas Camacho.

Pinto was very patient and took advantage of his length. At six-foot-five, with an 80-inch reach, he sat on the outside and stayed out of range. Eventually, he landed a right hook counter and ended the fight.

It does not take much to get excited about a heavyweight prospect. The division is in serious need of quality prospects. That increases the chance Pinto can find UFC success.

I like to see a heavyweight that is patient and focuses and technique. On top of that, he has cardio. I could see Pinto avoiding big swings from dangerous heavyweights while outlanding them from a distance. That seems like a plausible path to victory against a lot of opponents. I do not think he is an elite prospect, but he is a noteworthy addition to the division worth keeping an eye on.

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