Week 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2023) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the six-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.
With a simple 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 the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.
Lucas Rocha
Weight class: Bantamweight
Result: Lucas Rocha def. Davi Bittencourt via knockout (knee) – Round 2, 0:18
Grade: A
Summary: Setting the tone for the night was an amazing comeback knockout by [auttotag]Lucas Rocha[/autotag] that earned him a solid A.
This bout was initially scheduled to be contested at flyweight on last week’s show, but Rocha missed weight, which caused this shakeup in the first place. That said, Rocha’s opponent – Davi Bittencourt – did not appear to be bothered by the weight move with the way he was throwing Rocha around.
Sporting an Afro that would make Jim Kelly proud, Bittencourt’s superior grappling edge really shined through in the first round.
Still, I couldn’t help but notice the fundamental defense and composure from Rocha, who didn’t seem the least bit discouraged heading into the second frame. And sure enough, when Bittencourt went to repeat the recipe from the first round, Rocha was able to perfectly intercept his opponent with an emphatic knee.
Signing a flyweight with the finishing potential of Rocha was an absolute no-brainer, even considering his weight miss. Although Rocha’s record alone could get him matched up with some Kazak prospects in the division, I’m hoping that the UFC matchmakers slow-roll the young Brazilian by starting him off with challenges like Jesus Aguilar or Daniel Barez
Marquel Mederos
Weight class: Lightweight
Result: Marquel Mederos def. Issa Isakov via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 4:09
Grade: A
Summary: Between repeating the dynamic of the first fight of the night to making Dana White unabashedly ogle all over him, I had a hard time denying Marquel Mederos an easy A for knocking out Issa Isakov as an underdog.
Isakov did his damndest to stick to Mederos like glue in the small cage of the Apex, but Mederos – who comes from a camp of underrated counter grapplers – was able to keep his cool and find his separations.
Once out in space, Mederos did a good job of mixing his attacks to both the body and legs of Isakov, which helped encourage the finishing sequence.
It was great to see another exciting Factory-X fighter signed to the promotion, and suspect that the UFC brass eases him into the division due to his age (something that White clearly got excited about when sizing up the prospect in person). For that reason, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Mederos booked against someone like Yanal Ashmouz or Jesse Butler by early next year.
Torrez Finney
Weight class: Middleweight
Result: Torrez Finney def. Yuri Panferov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:43
Grade: A-
Summary: Despite starting to gain favor for his opponent, I couldn’t deny Torrez Finney anything less than an A for his powerful grappling prowess and undeniable swagger.
Although Finney left a ton to be desired in the striking and defense department, he – unlike his opponent – demonstrated the ability to take corner direction and knew exactly what he needed to do to secure the win.
Yuri Panferov, who was touting his fight IQ in the pre-fight promos, was having difficulty applying the spot-on advice from Tyson Chartier and company, eventually falling apart in the second round.
I was somewhat surprised to see Dana White deny Finney a contract despite signing middleweights like Dylan Budka in the very same season, but I also don’t necessarily disagree with the UFC’s president’s logic behind the decision.
Nevertheless, don’t be surprised to see Finney end up getting signed on short notice before next season’s bookings begin.
Connor Matthews
Weight class: Featherweight
Result: Connor Matthews def. Jair Farias via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Grade: B+
Summary: Despite almost fumbling the bag before getting across the finish line, it was nice to see Connor Matthews earn a UFC contract on his second swing at bat.
Matthews offers some solid southpaw pressure that’s easy for me to get behind, but his vulnerability to counters appears to still be an issue for the New England Cartel rep. Because of this, Jair Farias – despite being dead tired by round two – was able to hang around and hurt Matthews (even winning the third on one judge’s scorecard).
Nevertheless, Matthews showed the toughness and determination you’d expect from a former special forces operator, definitely earning his spot on the roster.
Whether you match Matthews up with someone like Jarno Errens or Gabriel Santos, I suspect that he’ll offer solid action fights across the board.
Andre Lima
Weight class: Flyweight
Result: Andre Lima def. Rickson Zenidim via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Grade: B
Summary: Considering that Rickson Zenidim had very little interest in fighting, it unfortunately became difficult to justify anything higher than a B for Andre Lima.
That said, there was still a lot to like from Lima, so I’m happy to see that the UFC president didn’t punish him for what was ultimately a forgettable fight.
Lima, who I see having a high ceiling in this division, reminded me of a more active Sheymon Moraes with the brief glimpses of Jose Aldo in the way in which Lima’s athleticism fuels his defensive fundamentals.
Although Lima is still young, I wouldn’t mind seeing him thrown right into the mix against other up-and-comers like Clayton Carpenter or Park Hyun-sung.
Ramon Taveras
Weight class: Bantamweight
Result: Ramon Taveras def. Cortavious Romious via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:29
Grade: A
Summary: Closing out the night strong was Ramon Taveras, who earns a well-deserved A for his quick destruction of Cortavious Romious.
In what was his second swing at bat this season (after suffering a controversial stoppage in week five), Taveras makes good in short order, showing exactly why I talk about the potency of southpaw versus southpaw matchups.
With most southpaws being used to fighting orthodox fighters, seeing a fellow southpaw can be tricky in regard to the different distances and striking lanes. For this reason, punches like the left cross and right hook become extra dangerous – something that was on full display during this fight.
Taveras southpaw savvy (which I suspected was there in my first review of him) clearly won the day, so I’m happy to see him and his action style onboarded onto the organization’s roster.
It appears that Sean Shelby already booked Taveras’ first official UFC fight, as he’ll be rematching his week five opponent, Serhiy Sidey, at UFC 297 next year.
