With Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series Season 2 under wraps. MMA Scout has decided to give out end of season awards to the standout performers. We have a total of 5 categories, looking at a range of topics.
‘Best Performance’ is an individual category, looking at how a single athlete was able to outclass their opponent in dominant fashion, quality of opponent also matters in this case. The ‘Best Fight’ award will be given out to a fight where both competitors left everything on the line, as well as demonstrated well-rounded offensive and defensive capabilities throughout the contest. The heart and skill of either competitor will be equally as important.
Thirdly, we’re looking for the fighter that will make the ‘Immediate Impact’ on the rankings. This will be given to the fighter who looks like he/she can be a contender right out of the gate. After that, we’ll show you which fighter we feel has the ‘Highest Talent Ceiling’. Young talents who are both active and improving quickly are our focus here. Lastly, the fighter we name the ‘Unluckiest To Not Get Signed’ must be someone who put on such an impressive performance that we can’t help but wait for their return to the octagon.
Best Performance
Devonte Smith
This was probably the most difficult category to decide on. There were a ton of outstanding performances this season ranging from devastating knockouts to slick submissions. However, on the last episode of the season, Devonte Smith topped the lot. He faced off against Joe Lowry who caught the eye of Dana White on ‘Dana White Lookin’ For A Fight’. According to the bookies, this was a very even fight which made Smith’s performance even more impressive.
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The Factory X-Muay Thai prospect came out throwing quick straight strikes as well leg kicks which were already paying dividends midway through the first round. Not content with how the stand-up exchanges were going, Lowry shot in for a double leg after pressuring Smith against the cage. From there Smith unleashed a number of devastating elbows to the side of Lowry’s head and forced the referee to step in.
Smith capitalised on his impressive performance in the post-fight interview and showed off his natural charisma. With skills both inside and outside of the octagon, it is no wonder that Dana White awarded him a contract. After being told that his next fight will be in the UFC, Smith wasted no time in calling out former opponent John Gunther in hopes of avenging the only defeat in his career.
Honourable mentions: Roosevelt Roberts, Sodiq Yusuff, Bobby Moffett
Best Fight
Sodiq Yussuf vs Mike Davis
This fight would not have looked out of place on a UFC card. Both fighters are talented strikers and showcased it in this contest. Davis came as the favourite holding an undefeated record of 5-0. Meanwhile, Yusuff was the more tested fighter with a record of 6-1.
The fight played out with Davis pressuring and Yusuff being content to fight on his back foot and look for counters. ‘Super’ Sodiq’s leg kicks were his key weapon in this fight as he took advantage of Davis’ boxing stance and tenderised his lead leg. Yusuff scored a couple of knockdowns in the first round but ‘Beast Boy’ showed great heart and stayed in the fight and mounted his own offence for all three rounds.
Yusuff won a unanimous decision and was awarded a contract which speaks volumes for how impressive his performance was as Dana White tends to only give out contracts to fighters who win by stoppage. Both fighters have a very bright future ahead of them in the sport and perhaps we will see Mike Davis join his opponent in the UFC sooner rather than later.
Honourable mentions: Domingo Pilarte vs Vince Morales, Austin Vanderford vs Angelo Trevino
Most Likely To Make An Immediate Impact
Antonina Shevchenko
As one of the more hyped competitors this season partly because of her last name but also her impressive Muay Thai pedigree, Shevchenko came in with a lot of expectations. She faced a short notice replacement in Jaymee Nievara. During the fight, Shevchenko showed off a devastating Muay Thai clinch en route to a second round T/KO.
The reason Shevchenko was chosen as the fighter most likely to make an immediate impact is largely because she will be competing in women’s flyweight division which is still very young. Shevchenko’s striking should see her break the top 10 with a couple of wins. It shouldn’t be too long until she finds her in title contention which could be interesting since her younger sister Valentina will be fighting for the title at UFC 228.
Honourable mentions: Jeff Hughes, Ian Heinisch
Highest Ceiling
Anthony Hernandez
The former LFA middleweight champion wasted no time when he faced off against fellow unbeaten prospect Jordan Wright. It took Hernandez only 40 seconds to seal a UFC contract as he put Wright out cold with a barrage of punches on the feet and on the ground.
Hernandez is only 24 years old and holds an impressive 7-0 record with wins over solid competition. He enters a somewhat ageing middleweight division and has a very good chance to make an impact in the not so distant future. ‘Fluffy’ has a very well rounded skill set with four of his wins coming by submission. He has also shown that he can go five hard rounds in his LFA title win over Brendan Allen. His well-roundedness and tenacity should see him enjoy a lengthy and fruitful UFC career.
Honourable mentions: Maycee Barber, Montel Jackson, Juan Adams, Bevon Lewis
Unluckiest To Not Get Signed
Chris Curtis
Dana White has been mostly on point when handing out contracts this season. However, Chris Curtis was arguably the most UFC ready fighter this season. Furthermore, he had an extremely impressive performance where he demonstrated his skills in a prolonged fight before scoring a highlight reel knockout with a hook kick and punches. Despite an impressive performance, Dana White chose to overlook ‘The Action Man’.
In addition to not getting a contract, Curtis broke his hand in the fight and consequently announced his retirement in a Facebook post. Should he have been given the nod by White, we would likely be seeing Curtis putting on exciting fights in the UFC.
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As is the case with many MMA retirements, it now seems as Curtis might be willing to go back on his word and step back into the cage. Should he do so and do so impressively then the UFC might finally come calling albeit later then he would have hoped.
Honourable mentions: Josh Parisian, Jailin Turner