LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White has been questioned all week on what he’s looking for on Dana White’s Contender Series.
The answer is pretty simple: He’s looking for a sense of urgency and fighters well-rounded enough to become world champions.
Tuesday night, all four scheduled fights went the distance for the first time in DWCS history. But that didn’t stop White from signing a pair of fighters. Both Miguel Baeza and Miles Johns received contracts, and a lot of praise for their dominant and well-rounded performances.
“The big myth now, after last week: I’m looking for finishers,” White told media members after the fights. “You finish? Great. If finishes happen, if (Johns) came out and knocked him out in the first round, I still would have liked him. But I liked that I got to see everything.”
For the others who didn’t get a contract, White said he just didn’t see enough.
“I saw opportunities where (Justin Gonzales) could have taken the back so many times,” White said. “He actually had the choke in, but only had one hook in at one point. He was very comfortable in staying where he felt safe – not being aggressive and trying to finish the fight. You can get away with that for a while. Then once you start to go up the ranks in the UFC, you can’t be that one dimensional and get away with that. It’s just not what I’m looking for.”
White also mentioned how DWCS is not like “The Ultimate Fighter” or any of the other shows. He wants to see fighters who will become future champions, which means fighters who show that desire the night they fight.
“This show isn’t about ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ – you fight all these times and you’re going to win a contract,” White said. “This isn’t a (UFC) ‘Fight Night’ or a pay-per-view,” White said. “I have five fights, and I have to pick somebody who I think can come into the UFC, make a huge impact, break into the top five, or be a world champion. That’s what I’m looking for.”
For more on Dana White’s Contender Series 18, check out the MMA Events section of the site.
