1 of the best UFC fighters to come out of DWCS Season 2 & 1 of the worst
Dana White's Contender Series was a hit after its inaugural season, and Season 2 upped the ante. Seven more contracts were given out in Season 2 while also making it the last season to be held at the TUF Training Center before moving it to the UFC APEX.
The second season once again went on for eight weeks, which would also be the last time that happened, as it was moved up to 10 weeks starting in season 3. From Season 2, 12 of the 23 contract winners are still with the UFC, though two have stepped away from the sport, and one was re-signed to the roster after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter 31. The fighters awarded contracts in Season 2 were:
- Alonzo Menifield
- Greg Hardy
- Matt Sayles
- Anthony Hernandez
- Ryan Spann
- Dwight Grant
- Antonina Shevchenko
- Te Edwards
- Bevon Lewis
- Jordan Espinosa
- Maycee Barber
- Domingo Pilarte
- Edmen Shahbazyan
- Jimmy Crute
- Sodiq Yusuff
- Jeff Hughes
- Chase Hooper (developmental)
- Roosevelt Roberts
- Ian Heinisch
- Jordan Griffin
- Juan Adams
- Devonte Smith
- Kennedy Nzechukwu
- Bobby Moffett
Plenty of fighters from this list can be considered the best signing, but a couple stand out. Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez didn't make my cut, but a few more wins can put him in title contention. Alonzo Menifield scored the fastest knockout in DWCS history and is ranked No. 12 in the light heavyweight division. Ryan Spann was ranked one spot ahead of Menifield but just lost his third straight at UFC Vegas 91.
Former flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko's sister Antonina debuted this season but hasn't fought in almost two years. Edmen Shahbazyan started his UFC career on fire but has since cooled off. Nigeria's Sodiq Yusuff is ranked No. 15 in the featherweight division. Chase Hooper, who was signed to a developmental deal, is a fan favorite and Kennedy Nzechukwu is a player in the light heavyweight division.
So as you can see, there are a lot of candidates as many fighters from season 2 have flourished in the five-plus years they've been with the UFC, but one fighter stands out more than the rest.