Cody Chovancek reveals what Dana White said to him after TKO victory
DWCS 82 winner Cody Chovancek talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters after being awarded a UFC contract from Dana White for his TKO victory.
Week 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2025) took place 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 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 the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.
Cody Chovancek
Weight class: BantamweightResult: Cody Chovancek def. Raphael Uchegbu via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:10Grade: B
Summary: Kicking off the night was a fairly entertaining fight between Cody Chovancek and Raphael Uchegbu that unfortunately comes with an asterisk on the Canadian’s side of the equation.
Despite showing solid looks on the feet and floor, I felt the need to knock Chovancek’s grade down a peg due to the under-acknowledged foul that clearly changed the complexion of the fight, which is extra unfortunate given that Chovancek seems like a fighter who naturally builds toward late finishes on his own.
However, you can’t ignore the fact that the clear fight-changing blow (which Uchegbu never seemed to recover from, quite frankly) was allowed to happen in the first place due to an illegal fence grab that referee Herb Dean failed to properly address.
In Dean’s defense, it was an insanely quick sequence that immediately led to a positional change, but Dean still had a decent amount of options at his disposal as the sole arbiter of the contest that he could’ve implemented without breaking the action (something Dean did in his next assignment of the night as MMA referees remain the prime perpetrators when it comes to the human nature that is over-correcting the proverbial steering wheel).
That aside, I was really impressed with Chovancek’s ground striking, and I’m glad that Canada gets a much-needed contender to get behind. I’m also not sure how much Dana White was watching some of the fights last night since he still looked hungover from Canelo-Crawford, but I wasn’t shocked to see him sign Chovancek.
Even though I’m not sure Chovancek will turn around in time for the upcoming Vancouver card, I suspect we’ll see him in the octagon before year’s end, opposite anyone ranging from Nathan Fletcher to Xiao Long.
Paddy McCorry
Weight class: MiddleweightResult: Paddy McCorry def. In Soo Hwang via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)Grade: C-
Summary: Despite taking a fairly clear victory over In Soo Hwang, I couldn’t justify anything higher than a C for the performance of Paddy McCorry.
I know expecting fighters to jab in open-stance affairs can be a lot to ask at any level of MMA, but it’s very frustrating when, what looks to be the right-handed southpaw’s side of the equation, fails to capitalize on a lane they have an inherent edge (especially in a fight where you’re clearly leading with little coming back your way).
But for as stiff and deer-in-the-headlights that Hwang was deadset on being, McCorry still found a way to let his Korean counterpart back into the fight during the final frame, where the Irish fighter was subjected to a decent amount of damage.
I mean, I know it’s middleweight, but I have a hard time seeing either fighter being invited back for another season anytime soon, if I’m being honest. Luckily for McCorry and Hwang, they fight in a division that the matchmakers have a fetish for, and said matchmakers are ultimately there to serve the insatiable beast that is the UFC schedule, so there’s always hope.
Tommy Gantt
Tommy Gantt credits Daniel Cormier, David Branch after UFC contract win
DWCS 82 winner Tommy Gantt talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters after being awarded a UFC contract from Dana White for his submission victory
Weight class: LightweightResult: Tommy Grantt def. Adam Livingston via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:47Grade: A
Summary: Despite Adam Livingston not having much to offer outside of the easiest name to spell on the card, I couldn’t deny an easy A for Tommy Gantt, treating him accordingly.
A Division-1 level All-American wrestler, Gantt comes in with an undeniable base that he’s clearly in the process of building his game around.
From his on-paper credentials to the championing from folks like Daniel Cormier, it’s no surprise that Gantt knows how to both ground and control his contemporaries with ease. But what I liked was Gantt’s wherewithal to not waste a ton of time while he steadfastly took the submission route to close the show.
I’d obviously like to see a lot more of Gantt to get a better idea of his skills ceiling, but signing a talent like this was a no-brainer for the UFC president. Pairing Gantt could be tricky to start, given the cumulative context of his age and resume, so don’t be shocked to see him booked against anyone ranging from Trevor Peek to Anshul Jubli before the year’s end.
Iwo Baraniewski
Iwo Baraniewski happy to secure UFC contract with knockout victory
DWCS 82 winner Iwo Baraniewski talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters after being awarded a UFC contract from Dana White for his 20-second knockout victory
Weight class: Light heavyweightResult: Iwo Baraniewski def. Mahamed Aly via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:20Grade: A
Summary: Although we didn’t get to see much from Iwo Baraniewski, I had a hard time denying the Polish fighter the automatic A that traditionally comes with emphatic finishes, considering that he came through as the biggest underdog on the card.
The UFC matchmakers may have been leaning into a lot of Strikeforce-style “smash-making” with this season of the Contender Series, but this fight was a reminder of how volatile the MMA betting market, particularly at this level, can be.
Mahamed Aly did his part in making me go to war with my laptop’s auto-correct in what’s becoming a regular Tuesday occurrence with the trend of weirdly-spelled names that the matchmakers have quietly gravitated toward throughout this series, but, unfortunately, the Brazilian didn’t do his part as far as the fighting goes (which is a shame becuase Aly looked good on tape).
Still, all it took at the end of the day was a perfectly put cross-counter to put Aly’s lights out. I have no idea of Baraniewski’s ceiling, but I’m sure he’ll fit in nicely with the current light heavyweight landscape that’s littered with glass cannons galore.
Although we probably won’t get any real answers from this fight if he wins it, I say match him up with someone like Diyar Nurgozhay (should he still be on the roster).
Hecher Sosa
Hecher Sosa reacts to UFC contract win just days after father’s death
DWCS 82 winner Hecher Sosa talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters after earning a UFC contract from Dana White for his unanimous decision victory
Weight class:BantamweightResult: Hecher Sosa def. Mackson Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)Grade: A
Summary: Despite not getting a finish, I found it difficult to deny Hecher Sosa an A for trying to finish Mackson Lee every step of the way.
It was also hard not to feel for Sosa, considering that the man had just lost his father due to cancer on fight week. Nonetheless, Sosa sucked it up and came out and did what he had to do.
Part of me was quietly hoping to see something impressive from Lee, given his Chinese boxing background. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old did not have much to offer Sosa beyond some serious heart. For that reason, gauging Sosa’s ceiling off this fight could be tricky despite the size and aggression the Spaniard brings to the table.
I’m not sure how full the upcoming cards in the Middle East are, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Sosa booked on either of those opposite anyone ranging from Chang-ho Lee to Elijah Smith.
