Dana White’s Contender Series 17 took place Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the four-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
With a refreshing 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 whom the UFC matchmakers can use for future events. So, with that trend in mind, I will once again be taking a look at the winning fighters regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, grading their performances in regards to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.
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Yorgan De Castro
Weight class: Heavyweight
Result: Yorgan De Castro def. Alton Meeks via TKO (leg kick, punches)
Grade: A
Summary: In what was the only finish of the night, I had a hard time finding any worthwhile holes to poke in Yorgan De Castro’s performance against Alton Meeks.
Not only was De Castro the biggest betting underdog of the night (closing upwards of +600), he was also able to get the job done against a highly touted Greco-Roman wrestler in Meeks.
The native from Cape Verde appeared composed and well-schooled considering his weight class and experience level, showing coachability when responding to takedown defense instruction from his corner. And when De Castro was free to operate in space, the 32-year-old heavyweight was patient in looking for his shots, electing to draw Meeks into every kind of counter, ranging from a right hand to a flying knee.
Ultimately, it was the thudding leg kicks that De Castro boasted about pre-fight that earned him the finish (which, if you ask me, is pretty cool to say that the first fight inside the UFC Apex ended in a “leg-kick TKO”).
A number next to his name in the UFC may not be in De Castro’s immediate future, but I do believe he makes a solid addition, whether we’re talking about action-fighters or prospect-building given the shelf space at heavyweight. Though I don’t always agree with who gets a contract, it’s hard not to be happy for a guy like De Castro, who seemingly continues to defy the odds.
Brendan Loughnane
Weight class: Featherweight
Result: Brendan Loughnane def. Bill Algeo via unanimous decision
Grade: B
Summary: In what was arguably one of most anticipated fights of the night, many (including myself) were disappointed to see Brendan Loughnane not get a contract for his hard-fought win over Bill Algeo.
Algeo, who held titles in both the CFFC and Ring of Combat, provided a stern test for the experienced Loughnane in what was the most competitive fight of the night on paper. But after a few hard leg kicks landed by Loughnane early, Algeo appeared to be fighting somewhat compromised.
The 30-year-old from Pennsylvania pushed on to a valiant effort in Round 2 that saw him do decent damage to Loughnane, but the Englishman was able to establish a takedown at the end of the frame to seal his efforts – almost as if he was listening to the opposing corner’s instructions to their fighter.
Unfortunately for Loughnane, his takedown toward the end of the third round was not as graciously graded by those who matter. UFC president Dana White, who, of course, was looking on from cageside, did not appear impressed with the fighter’s decision to shoot with just 10 seconds left in the fight.
To play devil’s advocate, both White and the format have been fairly consistent with what they’re looking for: finishes (or, in some cases, an undoubted effort and fire for said finish). Still, Loughnane technically doubled his striking output in Round 3, which makes his effort all the more poetic.
I hope that Loughnane is not too discouraged after this outing, as even White, himself, alluded to the Englishman’s future home in the promotion. And with the UFC seemingly always in search for the next wave from his region, I would not be surprised to see Loughnane in the big show by year’s end should he still be up for it.
Hannah Goldy
Weight class: Strawweight
Result: Hannah Goldy def. Kali Robbins via unanimous decision
Grade: B
Summary: It may have been another result that saw the scorecards, but I will argue that Hannah Goldy showed a lot of potential against a game Kali Robbins.
As I discussed with John Morgan on MMA Junkie’s pre-show, lighter fighters – by nature – are less likely to produce finishes by sheer statistics, but that shouldn’t stop us from grading their skills fairly. Robbins, who is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt under Eric Schafer, was a fighter who deserved to be in there last night.
Even though it quickly became clear that cage-cutting needs to be something that Robbins addresses in the near future, I couldn’t blame Goldy for falling into the rhythm of picking and placing shots. The 27-year-old Floridian carries herself in the cage similarly to one Tecia Torres, rocking an explosive, muscular frame that can either hit counters on the drop of a dime or finesse foes from the lead-side of her stance.
Sure, Goldy’s rawness got her into some brief but precarious positions on the floor in both Rounds 1 and 2, but she didn’t seem discouraged by it as she continued to chase the finish in the third frame (even when the action hit the mat).
Although Goldy could easily pull off the role of a UFC strawweight on some undercard in the future, not getting a contract at this point of her career isn’t exactly the worst thing that could’ve happened to her. Goldy has a palpable athletic and skills ceiling that perhaps could use some more sharpening, as I see her as a shoo-in for either another shot on next season’s Contender Series or a short-notice call from the UFC should she stay on her current trajectory.
Punahele Soriano
Weight class: Middleweight
Results: Punahele Soriano def. Jamie Pickett by unanimous-decision
Grade: B
Summary: In a fight that seemed all-but-destined to end in a finish one way or another, Punalehe Soriano was able to find victory over Jamie Pickett despite fighting in what were ultimately untested waters for the local Hawaiian.
Even though Pickett was the more experienced man who was making his return to the Contender Series, the North Carolina native seemed to have trouble weathering the storm from the heavy-hitting Soriano. The southpaw from Xtreme Couture may not have been able to put Pickett away, but Soriano’s power was seemingly enough to scare off his opposition from exchanging confidently on the feet.
Don’t get me wrong: Pickett was able to land some nice straight shots and a question-mark kick for his efforts, but that more showed me the status of Soriano’s chin than anything else.
Sure, as a fellow Hawaiian who trains at the Xtreme Couture Gym, I have to admit my biases here. However, as the UFC president expressed himself, Soriano showed the will to find a finish in whatever position possible, displaying more of himself than all of his fights combined given that he previously hadn’t been out of the first round.
I’m glad that White awarded a contract for a fight that went to decision, but hope that his choice doesn’t subsequently push Soriano – a fighter with an old-school attitude and loyalty about him – prematurely toward the deeper end of the pool. Similar to what fictitious bossman Frank Lopez from the movie “Scarface” says, “you get a guy like that on your side, he breaks his back for you.”
For complete coverage of Dana White’s Contender Series 17, visit the MMA Events section of the site.
