Week 5 of Dana White's Contender Sequence (2026) came about on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we're grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex. With a easy however digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this collection has proven to have legs in a number of methods whereas serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future occasions. With that pattern in thoughts, I as soon as once more will likely be looking on the successful fighters, no matter whether or not or not they received a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their chance of returning to a UFC stage.
Christian Natividad
- Weight class: Flyweight
- End result: 0
- Grade: A
Sparking off a burst of body-shot-friendly fights and incomes a well-deserved A and UFC contract within the course of was Christian Natividad.
Though his opponent, Colton Loud, landed a stable southpaw liver kick off his shifting offense, Natividad used the underrated tactic of countering kicks with physique photographs.
In truth, it was a uncommon proper hook to the liver that bought the job performed, which speaks much more to the position of the Hawaiian-born fighter's punches – therefore his nickname, "The Hawaiian Punch."
Regardless of it being a brief battle, signing Natividad was a no brainer, and I stay up for seeing extra from him on a full camp. Anticipate the UFC to match Natividad up with somebody like Nilson Rojas for a puncher's delight down at flyweight.
Apollo Gomes
- Weight class: Bantamweight
- End result: )
- Grade: A
Although this present is designed to reward first-round finishes, I worth seeing how a fighter fares in three-round wars the place they should overcome adversity and present the depths of their expertise – and Gomes did simply that.
Sadly for him, nonetheless, Dana White didn’t come away impressed with what he noticed. It's unlucky how apparent the "massive man" bias is among the many UFC brass regardless of, time after time, the majority of their battle card's high quality and leisure coming from lighter-weight fighters like Gomes who can do all of it.
Regardless of coming from completely nothing, Gomes already appears to have veteran-level expertise at a younger age.
Whether or not we're speaking about his southpaw change-ups on the toes or his slick wrist controls and positional consciousness on the ground, Gomes displayed the technical chops that make me suppose that he's plug-and-play prepared proper now. And for this to be the primary Chute Boxe Diego Lima fighter to compete and win within the octagon because the passing of Alan Nascimento, it simply makes it additional heartbreaking to see White not acknowledge Gomes and his workforce's adversity and efforts, a lot much less the a part of the equation involving the current dying of one in all his fighters.
I discovered it sort of disgusting, truly. However I digress.
I’d even be remiss to not acknowledge Gained Il Kwon, who, as soon as once more, fought valiantly in what was his second swing on the Contender Sequence. Sadly for the Korean fighter and his lovely bodywork and counter hooks, the foul breaks and the truth that his opponent was constructed like a Brazilian tank ended up killing his ending momentum down the stretch.
It additionally didn't assist that Gomes ended up stealing his instruments and being the one successful the straight punch and physique blow conflict by the tip of battle, which is one thing you often solely see from higher-level fighters. However hey, if somebody who White in the end handed on on this collection nonetheless ended up making 11 million {dollars} within the octagon (which is a bizarre brag, by the way in which), then maybe there's nonetheless hope for Gomes sooner or later.
It's simply too dangerous Gomes will not be a middleweight or increased, the place the boundaries to entry and the proverbial bars, normally, are a lot, a lot decrease.
Martin Kozak
- Weight class: Middleweight
- End result: 2
- Grade: A
Regardless of the comical top distinction at play, Martin Kozak earns an compulsory A for steadily punishing his weight-missing opponent in Christian Echols en path to a second-round stoppage.
Sadly for Echols, Kozak additionally punished him with a clear punch to the pecker, which I believed would possibly've killed Kozak's momentum in actual time. And although Kozak might've used extra knees and entrance teeps alike in his assaults for my liking, the Slovakian fighter neatly caught to his southpaw jab to each bust up Echols' eye and arrange his fight-ending kicks from the rear facet.
I'm not shocked to see White signal Kozak, and count on Mick Maynard to offer him the traditional middleweight privilege of that includes him on a Battle Evening principal card straight out of the gate (all whereas confirmed, action-fighting bantamweights proceed to get buried on the prelims, however I digress). Whether or not it's a world card or a home affair, I wouldn't be shocked to see Kozak paired with anybody from Mantas Kondratavicius to Wes Schultz.
Isaac Moreno
- Weight class: Welterweight
- End result: )
- Grade: B
Regardless of having to dig deep and overcome adversity, I nonetheless discovered it troublesome to offer Isaac Moreno something increased than a B for his three-round effort reverse Reginaldo Junior.
I'm unsure you'll discover a larger mark for southpaw karatekas in MMA than myself, so that you'd suppose I'd be the one defending Moreno right here – not Dana White. And although I undoubtedly appreciated Moreno's skill to combine in muay Thai techniques and nonetheless preserve energy, there was an virtually aimless, sporadic nature to his fashion down the stretch (one thing White himself commented on).
Junior was additionally a good fighter coming into this contest, however his inactivity made it arduous to place heavy inventory in what I used to be seeing. In truth, seeing Moreno's suspect wrestling after getting knocked down and shocked on a number of events made me query much more how he'll maintain up within the UFC's deceptively deep welterweight waters.
If White is gonna move on what would've been each a smart signing and feel-good gimmie in Apollo Gomes, then he ought to have handed on Moreno as effectively (no disrespect to Moreno, whose story together with his father actually touched me). I'm unsure how briskly we'll see Moreno circled, however I count on the UFC to match him up with somebody like Cameron Nelson.
Quentin Pasley
- Weight class: Mild heavyweight
- End result: 1
- Grade: A
Regardless of this in the end being one more fast end from a fighter who wants extra mat time, I got here away simply as impressed as Dana White and firm when watching Quentin Pasley put the ending touches on Arlind Berisha.
Though each fighters began off the bout far more tentative than traditional, Pasley was in a position to rapidly capitalize on closed-quarters fight alternatives as quickly as they introduced themselves.
Pasley, who pleasantly shocked me with how fast and technical he was when transitioning to a palm-to-palm crackdown when Berisha turtled, ended up doing a stable Dricus Du Plessis impression when parlaying his D'arce choke try into free elbow alternatives.
I'm not the one to overhype 'athletic phenoms' for the way they give the impression of being getting off the bus in opposition to lower-level opposition, however I can completely see massive issues in Pasley's future. I used to be with Dana White with regard to initially questioning placing a 3-0 fighter in a headlining spot like this, however signing Pasley ended up being the largest no-brainer of the evening.
Nonetheless, like all athletic big-boy phenoms, count on that UFC brass to deal with them with child gloves early (as that methodology truly is sensible right here). I think that the matchmakers give Pasley the Kevin Christian therapy to start out off his UFC profession.
🎶 “Kevin Christian oh your time has come…”🎶 M
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) 5
This text initially appeared on MMA Junkie: s
