Dana White’s Contender Series 47: Grading the winners

Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2022) 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.

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 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.

Alessandro Costa

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 26: (L-R) Alessandro Costa of Brazil punches Juan Andres Luna of Ecuador in a flyweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series Season 6 Week 1 at UFC APEX on July 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Flyweight
Result: Alessandro Costa def. Juan Andres Luna via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Grade: C+
Summary: In what ultimately was a slow and steady burn, [autotag]Alessandro Costa[/autotag] earned the win on the judges’ scorecards against Juan Andres Luna.

Costa came into this contest looking to be UFC-ready on paper, but the length and size of Luna seemed to trouble the Brazilian in the early going. Costa was able to finally start finding his opponent toward the end of the first frame after smartly mixing in shots to the body.

By the second round, Costa was able to drop Luna mid-uppercut with a nice right hand, shortly after the Ecuadorian was showboating, no less. Luna, who is also a strong grappler, was able to hit a nice sweep to get on top of Costa, but the Brazilian did a decent job of staying active and attacking from his back.

Both fighters demonstrated better urgency by the third frame, increasing their overall offense. That said, it was Costa who was landing the more meaningful attacks, building off of his previous bodywork and counters.

I’m a big fan of bolstering up the flyweight division, but I don’t blame the UFC president for passing on Costa given the output and entertainment that is typically a hallmark at 125 pounds. Perhaps Costa can get a call-up on short notice for his efforts, but both men still have plenty of time to shine in their respective careers.

Dennis Buzukja

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 26: (R-L) Dennis Buzukja punches Kaleio Romero in a featherweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series Season 6 Week 1 at UFC APEX on July 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Featherweight
Result: Dennis Buzukja def. Kaleio Romero via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Grade: B
Summary: In a fight that was perhaps more fun than given credit for, I think [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag] deserves nothing less than a B for his win over Kaleio Romero.

Although Romero looked a bit too green on the feet to start the fight, the Team Alpha Male product was clearly strong considering the stymying control time he was able to rack up on Buzukja. However, whenever there was separation, Buzukja was the one landing the big shots a la an accurate right hand.

Buzukja built on his striking success when he could by adding knees and the like, but the New Yorker arguably allowed himself to be pressed up against the cage for too long by a very raw fighter (which arguably contributed to Dana White’s decision come contract time).

In both fighters’ defense, they each got to show off more of their skills in a dog fight of a third round that saw fun scrambles and positional changes throughout. Romero definitely could use more seasoning, but don’t be surprised if the UFC decides to give Buzukja a short-notice shot in the near future.

Anton Turkalj

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 26: (R-L) Anton Turkalj of Sweden grapples with Acacio Dos Santos of Brazil in a light heavyweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series Season 6 Week 1 at UFC APEX on July 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Light heavyweight
Result:Anton Turkalj def. Acacio Dos Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Grade: C
Summary: In what was a bit of a forgettable fight, [autotag]Anton Turkalj[/autotag] took Acacio Dos Santos to the scorecards.

Despite having one of the better nicknames I’ve heard in some time, “The Pleasure Man” was not able to satisfy Dana White.

Although I did appreciate Turkalj walking into the Apex like he was Randal from the movie “Clerks,” the 26-year-old’s swagger quickly was stymied by the southpaw counters of Dos Santos in the early going of each round. Unfortunately for Dos Santos, his grappling defense was about as porous as Turkalj’s striking defense, as that allowed for the Swede to take the path of least resistance.

To Turkalj’s credit, he did show some solid trips to get things to the ground and worked for submissions and advancements when he could; he just ultimately lacked the urgency in the damage department, which is probably what cost him a UFC contract (as well as the second round a couple of judges’ scorecards).

Joe Pyfer

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 26: Joe Pyfer prepares to fight Ozzy Diaz in a middleweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series Season 6 Week 1 at UFC APEX on July 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Weight class: Middleweight
Result: Joe Pyfer def. Ozzy Diaz via knockout (punches) – round 2, 1:39
Grade: A
Summary: Given the way the night was going prior, it’s hard to deny [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag] anything short of an A for stopping Ozzy Diaz in the second round.

Perhaps due to his self-professed “flat night,” Pyfer looked a bit shaky in the opening frame before securing a solid takedown on Diaz early. The Renzo Gracie Philly product listened to instructions fairly well from his corner, keeping solid controls while still advancing toward potential submissions.

To Diaz’s credit, he was able to defend well enough to eventually create a bit of a dog fight that ended with both men trading hard jabs. And though it felt like Diaz might be able to pull away with his lesser-powered offerings, Pyfer was able to get a beat on his target by the second round, landing a perfectly-placed check hook off an unorthodox parry.

Mike Beltran gave Diaz an opportunity to recover but rightfully jumped in once he saw that the fight had been knocked out of him. Pyfer should be a fun addition to the middleweight division. I could see the UFC matching him up with either Joseph Holmes or Roman Dolidze for his first assignment.

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