There were a couple dominant performances that got the attention of the UFC CEO, including finishes by Mauricio Ruffy, Victor Hugo, and Rodolfo Bellato. There was also the physical prowess of light heavyweight Magomed Gadzhiyasulov that shined in his unanimous decision win over Jose Daniel Medina.
DWCS Week 9 Contract Winners & Interviews
All five of those athletes earned contracts, even Medina, who looked like he had all the heart in the world in his defeat to Gadzhiyasulov. The Bolivian fighter has never had a real training camp and does MMA on the side. White gravitated to his toughness and ability to entertain, and decided that he needed to give him a contract, no matter what.
Medina wasn’t the only fighter that White signed on Tuesday night that he thinks could do damage in another weight class.
Order UFC 294: Makhachev vs Oliveira 2
White said that he thinks that Ruffy could move down from welterweight to lightweight, as well as Bellato looking every bit the part of a dangerous heavyweight.
On Upcoming Fights
White mentioned that fights are being made through February of 2024 and when asked about what’s next in the middleweight division. White said that the UFC will make “whatever the best fight to make is when all is said and done.”
White also spoke about the potential timeline for Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko 3, saying that with both fighters recovering from surgery, the UFC is in no rush with the flyweight title trilogy and will pay attention to what the doctors say and then look to get the two back in the Octagon.
On UFC At The Sphere
With the Sphere venue now opening in Las Vegas, White said he’s already eyeing bringing the Octagon to the revolutionary new event space.
“Everybody was buzzing about the U2 concert on Saturday. I haven’t heard one negative thing about the opening of the Sphere,” White said. “I want to do Mexican Independence Day there. We will put on a f****** great show there.”
On Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs Green
White wants to know how good lightweight Grant Dawson truly is and he’s confident that he’ll find out this weekend when he faces Bobby Green at the UFC APEX.
Dawson vs Green Full Fight Card Preview
“Bobby Green is the perfect fight to find that out [if Dawson is for real],” White said. “The whole card is full of really fun fights.”
