Breaking Down Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, Season 1

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C

Ceiling Fan

Guest
As before, these statistics are observations and not representative of anything other than the entirety of Season 1 of DWTNCS. With only 40 fights, there's only so much you can glean from them. If you like what you see here, follow me on twitter at @jaypettry, I collect stats and data from every UFC event and like to talk about it.


Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, Season 1 Stats:
40 fights
65% finish rate (8 KOs for 20%, 9 TKOs for 22.5%, 9 Subs for 22.5% with 3 Technical Submissions)
16 fighters signed (8 for KO/TKO, 4 for Subs, 4 for Decisions) plus one other quasi-signing to be determined
3 fighters returned to fight again, two were signed on their second fight
6 of 8 main event winners were signed


Contract Winners:
Week 1: FW Kurt Holobaugh (Round 1 KO) and BW Boston Salmon (Unanimous Decision)
Week 2: BW Sean O'Malley (Round 1 KO)
Week 3: LHW Karl Roberson (Round 1 KO) and MW Geoffrey Neal (Round 1 TKO)
Week 4: MW Julian Marquez (Round 2 KO) and FW Brandon Davis (Unanimous Decision)
Week 5: LHW Mike Rodriguez (Round 1 KO) and FLW Alex Perez (Round 1 Tech Sub - Anaconda Choke)
Week 6: MW Charles Byrd (Round 2 Sub - Rear Naked Choke) and FW Grant Dawson (Round 2 Sub - Rear Naked Choke)
Week 7: BW Benito Lopez (Split Decision) and FLW Joby Sanchez (Round 2 TKO)
Week 8: LW Matt Frevola (Round 2 Sub - Arm-Triangle Choke), WBW Lauren Mueller (Unanimous Decision), and HW Allen Crowder (Round 3 TKO) - as well as MW Bevon Lewis (Round 2 TKO) to a Developmental League deal (no idea what that means yet)


Contracts by Fight Position on the Card:
Main: 6
Fight 2: 3
Fight 3: 4
Fight 4: 2
Fight 5: 1


Finishes:
By Round
11 First Round Finishes, 7 KO/TKO, 4 Sub
10 Second Round Finishes, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub
4 Third Round Finishes, 2 KO/TKO, 2 Sub

Fastest Finishes
Karl Roberson – 0:15 KO (Elbows)
Kyler Phillips – 0:46 TKO (Punches)
Jordan Espinosa – 1:23 Technical Submission (D’Arce Choke)

Latest Finishes
Jamie Colleen – 4:43 R3 Submission (Armbar)
Allen Crowder – 4:12 R3 TKO (Elbows)
Dan Ige – 3:23 R3 Submission (Rear Naked Choke)


Never Tell Me The Odds:
Favorite won: 26/40 – 65%
Underdog won: 14/40 – 35%

Biggest upsets:
+270 Kennedy Nzechukwu vs -330 Anton Berzin
+265 Adam Antolin vs -345 Casey Kenney
+260 Cameron Olson vs -300 Karl Reed

Biggest locks:
-420 Kurt Holobaugh vs +325 Matt Bessette
-400 Alonzo Menifield vs +300 Daniel Jolly
-400 Dan Spohn vs +300 Angel DeAnda


Hit the Scales:

14 of the fighters who came in lighter than their opponent won, compared to just 10 winners who were heavier than their opponents.
The remaining 16 bouts had fighters who hit the exact same weight.
No fighters missed weight.

Fights by Weight Class
FLW: 8 fights, 2 signed
FW: 7 fights, 3 signed
BW: 6 fights, 3 signed
LHW: 6 fights, 2 signed
MW: 5 fights, 3 signed
HW: 3 fights, 1 signed
WW: 2 fights, 0 signed
WBW: 1 fight, 1 signed
WSW: 1 fight, 0 signed


Oddities and Miscellany:
13 of 40 winners had a height advantage
12 fighters kept their undefeated streaks intact, and 10 fighters had their "0" go
Youngest to win - 22 years old, Sean O'Malley and Kyler Phillips
Oldest to win - 35 years old, Adam Antolin and Azunna Anyanwu (A for the first initial in their first and last names)
Longest Event: DWTNCS 8 – 60 mins, 31 secs of fight time
Shortest Event: DWTNCS 3 – 25 mins, 55 secs of fight time
Average Event Time: 46 min, 18.5 secs

The TOTAL fighter salary for all eight events was $600,000, assuming no post-fight or otherwise unlisted bonuses. $10,000 for each winner, and $5,000 for each loser.


TLDR: Fantastic season of fights, some serious prospects have been signed by the UFC and hopefully they can go far in the UFC. Several of the contract winner already have fights lined up in the UFC, and I will be keeping track of them as well. It sounds like Dana and company will be doing plenty of more of these seasons as we move forward, which is great to hear. It could also be leveraged into a weekly set of fight cards for a future TV deal after the Fox deal ends next year.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Gay For Longo

*insert Matt Serra meme
Jan 22, 2016
16,758
18,014
Last night was the best episode of the season by far
Can't wait to see Mueller and Fervola in the UFC
 

Gay For Longo

*insert Matt Serra meme
Jan 22, 2016
16,758
18,014
As before, these statistics are observations and not representative of anything other than the entirety of Season 1 of DWTNCS. With only 40 fights, there's only so much you can glean from them. If you like what you see here, follow me on twitter at @jaypettry, I collect stats and data from every UFC event and like to talk about it.


Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, Season 1 Stats:
40 fights
65% finish rate (8 KOs for 20%, 9 TKOs for 22.5%, 9 Subs for 22.5% with 3 Technical Submissions)
16 fighters signed (8 for KO/TKO, 4 for Subs, 4 for Decisions) plus one other quasi-signing to be determined
3 fighters returned to fight again, two were signed on their second fight
6 of 8 main event winners were signed


Contract Winners:
Week 1: FW Kurt Holobaugh (Round 1 KO) and BW Boston Salmon (Unanimous Decision)
Week 2: BW Sean O'Malley (Round 1 KO)
Week 3: LHW Karl Roberson (Round 1 KO) and MW Geoffrey Neal (Round 1 TKO)
Week 4: MW Julian Marquez (Round 2 KO) and FW Brandon Davis (Unanimous Decision)
Week 5: LHW Mike Rodriguez (Round 1 KO) and FLW Alex Perez (Round 1 Tech Sub - Anaconda Choke)
Week 6: MW Charles Byrd (Round 2 Sub - Rear Naked Choke) and FW Grant Dawson (Round 2 Sub - Rear Naked Choke)
Week 7: BW Benito Lopez (Split Decision) and FLW Joby Sanchez (Round 2 TKO)
Week 8: LW Matt Frevola (Round 2 Sub - Arm-Triangle Choke), WBW Lauren Mueller (Unanimous Decision), and HW Allen Crowder (Round 3 TKO) - as well as MW Bevon Lewis (Round 2 TKO) to a Developmental League deal (no idea what that means yet)


Contracts by Fight Position on the Card:
Main: 6
Fight 2: 3
Fight 3: 4
Fight 4: 2
Fight 5: 1


Finishes:
By Round
11 First Round Finishes, 7 KO/TKO, 4 Sub
10 Second Round Finishes, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub
4 Third Round Finishes, 2 KO/TKO, 2 Sub

Fastest Finishes
Karl Roberson – 0:15 KO (Elbows)
Kyler Phillips – 0:46 TKO (Punches)
Jordan Espinosa – 1:23 Technical Submission (D’Arce Choke)

Latest Finishes
Jamie Colleen – 4:43 R3 Submission (Armbar)
Allen Crowder – 4:12 R3 TKO (Elbows)
Dan Ige – 3:23 R3 Submission (Rear Naked Choke)


Never Tell Me The Odds:
Favorite won: 26/40 – 65%
Underdog won: 14/40 – 35%

Biggest upsets:
+270 Kennedy Nzechukwu vs -330 Anton Berzin
+265 Adam Antolin vs -345 Casey Kenney
+260 Cameron Olson vs -300 Karl Reed

Biggest locks:
-420 Kurt Holobaugh vs +325 Matt Bessette
-400 Alonzo Menifield vs +300 Daniel Jolly
-400 Dan Spohn vs +300 Angel DeAnda


Hit the Scales:

14 of the fighters who came in lighter than their opponent won, compared to just 10 winners who were heavier than their opponents.
The remaining 16 bouts had fighters who hit the exact same weight.
No fighters missed weight.

Fights by Weight Class
FLW: 8 fights, 2 signed
FW: 7 fights, 3 signed
BW: 6 fights, 3 signed
LHW: 6 fights, 2 signed
MW: 5 fights, 3 signed
HW: 3 fights, 1 signed
WW: 2 fights, 0 signed
WBW: 1 fight, 1 signed
WSW: 1 fight, 0 signed


Oddities and Miscellany:
13 of 40 winners had a height advantage
12 fighters kept their undefeated streaks intact, and 10 fighters had their "0" go
Youngest to win - 22 years old, Sean O'Malley and Kyler Phillips
Oldest to win - 35 years old, Adam Antolin and Azunna Anyanwu (A for the first initial in their first and last names)
Longest Event: DWTNCS 8 – 60 mins, 31 secs of fight time
Shortest Event: DWTNCS 3 – 25 mins, 55 secs of fight time
Average Event Time: 46 min, 18.5 secs


TLDR: Fantastic season of fights, some serious prospects have been signed by the UFC and hopefully they can go far in the UFC. Several of the contract winner already have fights lined up in the UFC, and I will be keeping track of them as well. It sounds like Dana and company will be doing plenty of more of these seasons as we move forward, which is great to hear. It could also be leveraged into a weekly set of fight cards for a future TV deal after the Fox deal ends next year.
Great job but Casey Kenney won that fight, fuck what the judges said
 
C

Ceiling Fan

Guest
How is this show? Is it anything like TUF?
Nothing like it. Every episode is 5 fights, each event lasts about two hours, and there's a tiny bit of backstory about each fighter before we dive in. It's lean, mean, and a great watch. Fighters go for the finish most of the time. Worth every second.
 

La Paix

Fuck this place
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
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Nothing like it. Every episode is 5 fights, each event lasts about two hours, and there's a tiny bit of backstory about each fighter before we dive in. It's lean, mean, and a great watch. Fighters go for the finish most of the time. Worth every second.
Not gonna lie, I haven't given it a chance due to title. Thought it would be Dana all day then some fights and and there.
 
C

Ceiling Fan

Guest
Not gonna lie, I haven't given it a chance due to title. Thought it would be Dana all day then some fights and and there.
The only similarity to speak of is that they do fight in the TUF gym. Each fighter has their own corner, and there isn't a big crowd. Just five to ten friends/family of each fighter, and some pro fighters that are in the neighborhood.

The only Dana we get are reaction shots when something dramatic happens, and at the end he announces who gets the contract.
 

La Paix

Fuck this place
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
38,273
64,597
The only similarity to speak of is that they do fight in the TUF gym. Each fighter has their own corner, and there isn't a big crowd. Just five to ten friends/family of each fighter, and some pro fighters that are in the neighborhood.

The only Dana we get are reaction shots when something dramatic happens, and at the end he announces who gets the contract.
It's like all my TUF tears weren't for nothing. Im going to check it out.
 
C

Ceiling Fan

Guest
It's like all my TUF tears weren't for nothing. Im going to check it out.
It's also huge because each fighter has to have a pro win in this org to get a shot at a contract. They don't have weird round exhibition matches and any drama whatsoever. It's a tryout/audition, and it's the right idea.

There's word of a developmental league coming, as I mentioned in the first post, but Dana alluded to it in the last episode and we don't know if that means a Strikeforce Challengers type deal or if it means another season of DWTNCS.
 

La Paix

Fuck this place
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
38,273
64,597
It's also huge because each fighter has to have a pro win in this org to get a shot at a contract. They don't have weird round exhibition matches and any drama whatsoever. It's a tryout/audition, and it's the right idea.

There's word of a developmental league coming, as I mentioned in the first post, but Dana alluded to it in the last episode and we don't know if that means a Strikeforce Challengers type deal or if it means another season of DWTNCS.
I love the idea of a real feeder org and cut the big shows roster in half or so.
 

Gay For Longo

*insert Matt Serra meme
Jan 22, 2016
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It's like all my TUF tears weren't for nothing. Im going to check it out.
They even signed somebody to a legacy contract
Only had a couple fights and showed lots of potential, so they signed him to legacy to get a couple more fights in before moving up to ufc

It seems to be a great way to show off some prospects and not rush them too fast
 

Gay For Longo

*insert Matt Serra meme
Jan 22, 2016
16,758
18,014
It's also huge because each fighter has to have a pro win in this org to get a shot at a contract. They don't have weird round exhibition matches and any drama whatsoever. It's a tryout/audition, and it's the right idea.

There's word of a developmental league coming, as I mentioned in the first post, but Dana alluded to it in the last episode and we don't know if that means a Strikeforce Challengers type deal or if it means another season of DWTNCS.
It's LFA
They already announced them as the development league earlier this year
 
C

Ceiling Fan

Guest
It's LFA
They already announced them as the development league earlier this year
I must have missed that somehow, I watch every LFA event so I figure that would have been a huge deal. I know they already use them as a feeder, but I didn't know they had the power to sign fighters to LFA. Plus, Lewis already fought for LFA, that's how he was on the radar.
 

Gay For Longo

*insert Matt Serra meme
Jan 22, 2016
16,758
18,014
I must have missed that somehow, I watch every LFA event so I figure that would have been a huge deal. I know they already use them as a feeder, but I didn't know they had the power to sign fighters to LFA. Plus, Lewis already fought for LFA, that's how he was on the radar.
You may be right
I'm trying to find the article I read last night but can't find it
I might have saw the podcast ed sores did about rfa becoming a development league and since that merged with legacy, maybe figured it carried over

I'm going to keep looking
 

Gay For Longo

*insert Matt Serra meme
Jan 22, 2016
16,758
18,014
I must have missed that somehow, I watch every LFA event so I figure that would have been a huge deal. I know they already use them as a feeder, but I didn't know they had the power to sign fighters to LFA. Plus, Lewis already fought for LFA, that's how he was on the radar.
Now I'm really confused


View: https://twitter.com/danawhite/status/902739409329520640


Does he mean TUF?
the only 3 places yair fought before UFC, don't hold events anymore
 
C

Ceiling Fan

Guest
Does he mean TUF?
the only 3 places yair fought before UFC, don't hold events anymore
Uh, I have no idea what that means. Yair was on TUF LA but I don't remember them supplementing fighters. I don't want to see more seasons of TUF, they're out of gas.

Did they have a series of unlisted ammy cards we never heard about and they weren't televised or spoken about?
 

Gay For Longo

*insert Matt Serra meme
Jan 22, 2016
16,758
18,014
Uh, I have no idea what that means. Yair was on TUF LA but I don't remember them supplementing fighters. I don't want to see more seasons of TUF, they're out of gas.

Did they have a series of unlisted ammy cards we never heard about and they weren't televised or spoken about?
Must be
I thought for sure it was LFA and they'd give him another fight or 2 there pushing for a belt before moving up but from Dana it definitely sounds like I'm wrong
 

MMAHAWK

Real Gs come from California.America Muthafucker
Feb 5, 2015
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Mishima Zaibatsu

TMMAC’s resident musician
Feb 27, 2016
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Felt bad for Casey Kenny, that guy put on a good fight his first time around.

Just couldn't get it done the second time.

Good prospects signed either way.

Excited a bit about Allen Crowder, he's a big athletic HW.