DWCS Week 2: Rizvan Kuniev melts Hugo Cunha for buzzer-beating knockout win

The UFC heavyweight division is in desperate need of another young prospect and may just have a new life with Rizvan Kuniev.

As a former Wushu Sanda practitioner from Dagestan Makhachkala, Russia, Kuniev was a fighter many had their eye on on the second episode of season eight of "Dana White's Contender Series." The Dagestani wrestler delivered in the penultimate fight of the night with a last-second first-round knockout of Hugo Cunha.

The fight was not a complete cakewalk for Kuniev, as he had to deal with the pressure wrestling of Cunha out of the gate. After defending all of the Brazilian's takedown attempts, Kuniev took full control of the striking before forcing Cunha against the fence and ending the fight with a knee to the body and clinch elbows.

Kuniev, who previously served as the Eagle FC heavyweight champion and competed once in the PFL, was the biggest betting favorite of the night. He delivered to the expectations of the oddsmakers, making his fight the second shortest of the event.

The win was Kuniev's second on the show after initially picking up a TKO win over Edivan Santos in 2021. The second time was the charm for Kuniev as his win over Cunha was worthy of a UFC contract with White calling him a "killer."

Kuniev also ended a 16-month-long layoff with the win after last competing at PFL 2 in 2023. Kuniev initially beat the current PFL heavyweight champion, Renan Ferreira, at the event but it would later be overturned to a no-contest after he tested positive for multiple anabolic steroids.

In a semi-desolate weight class, Kuniev immediately becomes one of the most interesting prospects in the UFC heavyweight division. In the same division that saw Shamil Gaziev get a main event fight against a ranked opponent after just one win in the promotion, it could not be long before the 31-year-old becomes a name worth watching.