Dana White’s Contender Series 68 grades: Which winners stood out?

Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2024) took place Tuesday, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Since its inception in 2017, 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, here are the grades for the winning fighters – regardless of whether or not they earned a UFC contract – and an assessment of their probability to return to a UFC stage.

Cody Haddon

Weight class: Bantamweight Result: Cody Haddon def. Billy Brand via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:09 Grade: A

Summary: In what was easily the most impressive performance of the night, Cody Haddon earns an easy A for finishing Billy Brand.

Haddon, who had to travel a long way from Western Australia to compete on the Contender Series, appears to have the well-rounded game that is practically a prerequisite at 135 pounds. From serviceable takedowns to savvy striking, Haddon steadily pressured his way into offensive opportunities, allowing little openings for Brand to get going.

Brand appeared to have some slick looks himself, but the American got caught on the strong side of his shelling defense with a beautiful left hook from Haddon that sent him to the floor.

Although going to the ground with a hurt opponent can be a big no-no in my book, Haddon displayed excellent technique and killer instinct when pursuing a finish on the floor, smartly punching in his arm at an opportune time for the rear-naked choke finish.

Seeing Dana White sign Haddon was a no-brainer. I wouldn’t mind seeing Haddon thrown in there with someone like Steven Koslow or even Gaston Bolanos, but I suspect that the UFC will pair him up with someone from his side of the world like Quang Le on the next show in Australia or Asia.