Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10 lit up the Meta APEX with one of its most spectacular nights as a record SIX fighters earned UFC contracts from the UFC President and CEO.
After the action had concluded on a crazy night of fights, White headed backstage to unpack the night’s events with the assembled media at the Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 2 post-fight press conference.
An ‘all-time great’ night at Meta APEX
White was asked where Tuesday night’s crazy night ranked among the Contender Series nights he’s hosted so far, and his response matched the mood in the room as he hailed it as one of the very best we’ve seen in Contender Series history.
Watch The Entire DWCS Season On Paramount+
“I love this show. I love Tuesday nights. I wish we could do this every week throughout the entire year,” he said. “But this was definitely one of the all-time great nights on the Contender Series.”
The Contender Series continues to deliver
The Contender Series has gone from strength to strength in the nine years it’s been in existence, and White arrived at the dais with a financial stat he wanted to share with the assembled media.
READ: Meet The Newest UFC Signees
“Ooh, what a night!” he grinned. “I got one for you. I wanted to share with you guys. So, this thing started July 17, 2017. So, from that date to today, the fighters who have made it into the UFC from the Contender Series have made $225.3 million. Talk about an opportunity!”
White also looked back to the very beginnings of the idea of starting the Contender Series, and while the construction of the show itself has been a big success, he was keen to highlight the strength of the matchmaking as the key to the Contender Series’ success over the years.
“When I came up with the idea, I literally walked into [Craig] Borsari's office and told him the concept, and we started working on it and put it together,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it's all about the matchmaking. These guys [have] got to get out there and find this young, up-and-coming talent, and then the matchmaking's f****** spectacular.”
Kaik Brito’s show-stopping victory
Brazilian welterweight Kaik Brito closed the show with one of the knockouts of the year as he starched Namo Fazil with a humongous overhand right to claim a jaw-dropping knockout in the final round of the night’s main event.
RECAP: Week 1 Results | Week 2 Results
But it wasn’t just the knockout itself that impressed White, as the UFC boss explained.
“He had a guy who was taking all of his shots and coming forward the whole time,” said White. “That can be very disheartening when you got a guy that's like a a f****** zombie coming at you and taking all your best shots and hitting you.
“You wait. You see his face when he comes in here. He took some big shots tonight, too, and then to come out and win in spectacular fashion in the third round the way that he did…”
It was a show-stealing performance on a night that had already delivered a host of big moments, and the next step now is to see if Brito can carry that sort of crowd-pleasing fighting style into the Octagon and have similar success on the big stage.
Follow The Official DWCS Instagram Page
When asked if Brito could become a real problem for the welterweight division, White said, “Well, that I don't know. That remains to be seen. He passed the test tonight. Now you get into the big leagues, and we'll see what he can do from here. But guys that come from this show have done pretty well in the UFC.”
Cristian Perez’s contract-winning performance
Cristian Perez’s victory saw him earn a contract from White, who said that the Mexican’s arrival on the UFC roster continues a strong tradition of fighters from that nation delivering exciting talent for the UFC. White explained how Mexico has always been a go-to country when looking for the next potential stars of the Octagon.
“I think he looked incredible today. He couldn't have looked any better. He couldn't have put on a better performance,” he said of Perez’s performance.
WEEK 2 HIGHLIGHTS: Alik Lorenz | Trent Miller | Kaik Brito | Cristian Perez
“When we first bought this company, the three no-brainers for me were the United States, Mexico, and the UK. I thought that those were the places that we would find the most talent, you know? Obviously Brazil, because you know, it basically started down in Brazil. But I always believed in those three countries, Mexico being one of them.”
On giving contracts to both Roman Puga and Taner Trembley
The first fight of the night saw Roman Puga and Taner Trembley leave it all in the Octagon as they battled tooth and nail to the final bell.
Puga’s performance in victory immediately earned him a contract in the mind of White, who then revealed that matchmaker Sean Shelby told him that he also wanted the UFC boss to give Trembley a contract, despite being on the wrong end of the scorecards on the night.
“One of our guys actually thought it was a draw, and I hate draws, but that would have been a great draw,” he said. “Beginning of the third round, I said, ‘Send both these guys straight to the hospital.’ And then, when I was walking out, Sean Shelby goes, ‘I want Tanner, so let's take them both.’”
White said that awarding contracts to both fighters in a fight isn’t usually something he considers. Instead, he views it as giving UFC deals to the fighters that most deserve that chance.
“I don't ever think about giving out two contracts,” he explained. “There's a winner, and you know we're not just handing out f****** contracts. You’ve got to earn them here.”
White later added, “Listen, it's very rare to see a war like that where the fight ends, and you're like, ‘Yeah, we'll take both guys.’ I mean, those are those are f****** unicorns in this business. They're very rare that that happens. So yes, when you see it, you know. I told you one of my guys thought it was a draw, and I hate draws. But that would have been a great draw if that was a draw.”
Picking his favorite contract winner
White was asked whether he could highlight the fighter that he’s highest on following Tuesday night’s fights, and he admitted that would be a tricky task.
“I don't know. I'm pretty happy with everybody tonight,” he said. “I mean, everybody has a different story. The Roman [Puga] fight was an absolute war with Tanner. [Alik] Lorenz, like I said, I didn't 100 percent agree with the stoppage, but he was teeing off, blasting him with big shots, and he was a 4/1 underdog, so you’ve got to love that story.
“Then we were just talking about Christian Perez. Fought another tough, durable guy, and could not have looked any better than he did tonight. Trent Miller, in my opinion, I told him, I said the better fighter did not win tonight. But you know what? Statistically, if you look at them, if you look at their records, you know their fighting style…
“And he was a 5/1 dog. This guy came out and said, ‘I'm going to win this fight tonight,’ and sometimes that's more powerful than talent. And then obviously, the main event. I mean, everybody had a different story and a different type of fight. It's hard to just pick one.”
On arguing and battling with the matchmakers
White said that he and matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard often butt heads on various issues and topics, but that spirited conversation is what helps make the best fights for the fans.
When asked if the matchmakers enjoy it when he states that a new signee can go straight onto a fight card, like he did when he said he wanted to add Cristian Perez to the Noche UFC card, he revealed that he and his matchmakers aren’t always in lock-step.
“I don’t think they do [enjoy it], no,” White smiled. “Sometimes they do, and agree, and sometimes they disagree. We disagree and argue and battle often, but the results end up working out.”
The Ultimate Fighter is still going strong
With the Contender Series doing so well, delivering great fights and bringing top-drawer talent for the UFC, White was asked about The Ultimate Fighter, and why the UFC continues with that show, and why fighters would opt to compete in TUF, rather than on the Contender Series.
“Yeah, the only reason The Ultimate Fighter is still alive is because it still pulls great numbers,” he explained. “What I like about The Ultimate Fighter is that you know you have an entire weight class of guys, and it's just a different level of stress. It's just different, but it's still a very powerful show for us. So, when you have a show like the Contender Series that can build stars and bring in talent, and I have two different pipelines of talent coming in, why would I not do it?
“We used to do Lookin’ For A Fight, which is great, too. But I just don’t have time for that right now. We do both [Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter], and both do very well on TV. So, yeah, the day The Ultimate Fighter doesn't do well on TV, then you know. But there's a huge fan base out there that loves The Ultimate Fighter."
