Best and Worst from UFC Fight Night 142: Dos Santos vs. Tuivasa

#3 Best: Dana White’s Contender Series continues to deliver

Sodiq Yussuf looked fantastic in his full UFC debut

The main card saw two fighters make their official UFC debuts after wins on Dana White’s Contender Series, and both Jimmy Crute and Sodiq Yussuf came out on top in exciting fights that showcased both their talents and their charismatic personalities post-fight.

Crute – the only Australian fighter to pick up a win on the main card – came in with a reputation as being a heavy striker, and the footage on him didn’t show much in the way of grappling skill. However, ‘The Brute’ managed to outgrapple the crafty veteran Paul Craig throughout the fight, eventually tapping him out with a nasty-looking kimura in the third round after coming close on two occasions with arm triangle choke attempts.

The win was a big one for Crute and he looks like a man to watch at 205lbs; hopefully, the UFC doesn’t attempt to rush him up the ladder in a thin division because, at 22, he’s still very inexperienced and could well end up as a legitimate contender if he’s dealt with correctly.

As for Yussuf, he simply destroyed Suman Mokhtarian with heavy hands in the first round. Mokhtarian protested the stoppage as he was still on his feet, but let’s be honest – had the referee allowed it to continue, he’d have been knocked out cold. It was a good ref job.

Yussuf – a native of Nigeria – then showed a ton of personality in his post-match interview, first cracking everyone up by describing himself as “blacksplosive”, and then discussing the recent death of his brother in a super-emotional moment. Like Crute, he’s a man to watch although 155lbs is so packed that he’ll likely be guaranteed to be slowly built.

Comparing the debuts of these two with the previous night’s TUF finals was like night and day. There can be no doubt now – the best path to UFC success is through Dana White’s Contender Series.

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