DWCS Week 6: Who won UFC contracts last night?

Dana White’s Contender Series was back last night for the sixth week of this season’s run. The UFC entered last night having given out 19 contracts over the span of five weeks. There has been a lot of great talent added to the roster.

Last night was another incredible night for the Contender Series. The UFC awarded another four contracts after some incredible performances from the fighters last night. Let’s take a look at the newest additions to the roster.

UFC Newcomers

Before we dive into the four fighters who were welcomed into the UFC, there was one winner who was left out. Sherrard Blackledge (5-0) was the one fighter who didn’t get a UFC contract despite his victory last night over Cameron Church.

White said that he loved what he saw for the first two rounds of the fight, but the third round left much to be desired. White said that they do like Blackledge, and because they do, they are inviting him back for the next run of the Contender Series.

Aliaskhab Khizriev

The first UFC contract of the evening was handed out to Russian prospect Aliaskhab Khizriev (13-0). Khizriev entered with a good amount of hype as a guy that was 12-0 and many people thought he deserved to be in the UFC already.

Khizriev made very quick work of his opponent. He was able to get Henrique Shiguemoto down to the ground quickly and secured a rear-naked choke within the first minute. Dominant performance by the UFC newest welterweight.

Drako Rodriguez

The second UFC contract was handed out to 24 year old bantamweight Drako Rodriguez (7-1). White was a fan of Rodriguez’s story after Rodriguez said that he got into fighting after watching the free UFC fights on SpikeTV.

Rodriguez also secured a first round finish last night. When he was on the ground with Leomana Martinez, he showed how slick his ground skills were. He transitioned through multiple submissions before securing a triangle choke in the first round earning him a shot in the UFC.

Another thing that White loved was Rodriguez’s attitude after the fight. He was more upset that he couldn’t show his striking. White said that he would be able to show it off inside the UFC.

Phil Hawes

The third UFC contract was handed out to middleweight Phil Hawes (8-2). Hawes had fought on the Contender Series back in 2017. That night, Hawes looked to wrestle a lot, and he was caught with a head kick that knocked him out.

Last night, Hawes really showed the UFC how much better he’s become. Hawes stepped forward with a variety of strikes before landing a big shot that floored Khadzhimurat Bestaev. Hawes quickly followed up for the first round TKO earning him a shot in the UFC.

Tafon Nchukwi

The final UFC contract of the evening was handed out to Tafon Nchukwi (4-0). Nchukwi looked sensational last night with nasty striking that really impressed Dana White. Nchukwi finished Al Matavao with a savage head kick in the second round.

White said that normally they would put someone like Nchukwi in a developmental deal with that little of experience. However, because of the nature of his win, he’s going right into the UFC. Nchukwi also holds a knockout over Contender Series vet and UFC newcomer, William Knight.