With the NHL and NBA drafts on tap this week, the UFC is holding the equivalent of its own annual draft at The Ultimate Fighter gym in Las Vegas.

From now through the end of July, the second season of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS) will earn a handful of aspiring UFC fighters a contract and, in August, the promotion holds another series in Brazil for the first time.

In the first week of the DWTNCS, troubled former NFL Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy earned a contract after a first-round knockout – in his first professional fight – over Austen Lane, another former NFL defensive end. After granting him a contract, UFC president White said he hoped that Hardy would fight either again on the DWTNCS or in a lower-level organization like LFA (Legacy Fighting Alliance).

Additionally, main event winner and Season 1 competitor Alonzo Menifield earned a contract after dispatching his opponent DaShawn Boatwright in just eight seconds of the first round.

In the second episode, we saw more up and coming talent attempt to catch White’s attention in the hope of earning a contract.

In the first fight, Dwight Grant was unfazed by opponent Tyler Hill’s ability to battle at a high pace. He continuously engaged with Hill en route to an incredible right overhand to left hook combination that floored Hill in spectacular fashion in the second round highlight-reel finish.

Right off the bat, Grant put himself in position for a UFC contract and set the mood for the evening.

In the second bout, Ryan Spann sought a little redemption after losing his match during the first season of DWTNCS in just 15 seconds to Karl Roberson, the eventual UFC middleweight and former GLORY kickboxer. Since the loss, Spann has won three straight fights via first round stoppage and earned the LFA light heavyweight title.

On Tuesday in Season 2, Spann capitalized on the opportunity and finished his opponent, Argentinian Emiliano Sordi, in just 26 seconds via modified standing guillotine choke.

The next bout featured GLORY kickboxer Giga Chikadze, who has been training in mixed martial arts for years, but had not scored a win over an opponent with a winning record in MMA.

Austin Springer, his opponent, had lost the first two rounds and seized the moment in the third, where he turned the tables on Chikadze and roughed him up on the ground before earning a submission win in the third round.

In the second to last fight, Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez, whose father passed away just months ago, tried to live up to his father’s dying wish that he would earn a UFC contract.

Hernandez came into the fight like a man on a mission and defeated his previously undefeated opponent Jordan Wright with punches in just 40 seconds.

The final fight of the evening featured Matt Sayles and Palestinian-born Yazan Hajeh. It was soon clear that Sayles had taken a page or two out of the playbook of training partner Dominick Cruz as he used superior footwork to defeat Hajeh in just under two minutes

My two contract selections
Picking two fighters to earn contracts out of the incredible showcases put on tonight by four of the five fighters was a tall order. If forced to make a decision, I am going with Anthony Hernandez and Ryan Spann.

Hernandez showed that he had the most upside of anyone tonight. At age 24, the now 7-0 LFA middleweight champion scored his sixth first-round finish and did so in impressive fashion.

Spann is a great redemption story. Also an LFA champion in the light heavyweight division, he could be a contender in the light heavyweight division in the very near future, given how shallow the division is at the moment. At age 26, the sky’s the limit for Spann and the combination of being able to mentally conquer his 15-second loss last season by following it up with four straight wins and his physical attributes (Spann is 6-foot-5 with an 81.5-inch reach) shows that he has a very bright future.

Dana White’s contract selections

Like myself, White knew that he had a tough decision to make, but he decided to make it easier by giving a contract to all four of the deserving fighters. Grant, Spann, Hernandez and Sayles all walked away with contracts as White awarded four contracts for the first time in DWTNCS history.

Highest ceiling

While I think that Hernandez has the highest upside, I believe that Spann will be able to work his way up the rankings faster, given the lack of depth in the light heavyweight division. Only four of the top-15 light heavyweights are under the age of 30 and Spann will be part of the next generation of stars in the division.

Biggest question mark

Grant looked fantastic in the opening fight on DWTNCS, but given his inactivity, it is difficult to know what to expect from him going forward. He is quite tall for the division and his striking prowess cannot be denied. In a very deep welterweight division, there’s a chance he gets lost in the shuffle.

The first week of the show had its moments, but Episode 2 blew it out of the water and was perhaps the most exciting edition to date. With no indication that The Ultimate Fighter will return in 2019, DWTNCS will more than fill the void. The cards continue to be fast-paced, the fighters compete with urgency and look to impress White however possible and the payoff at the end when the contracts are handed out make the show worth watching attentively from beginning to end.

On next week’s show, we will see Valentina Shevchenko’s older sister, Antonina, compete. She went 2-0 in 2017 after a 12-year hiatus from MMA. She faces short-notice opponent Jaimelene Nievera, who has previously competed in LFA and Bellator and holds a 7-3 record.

We will also see the UFC returns of Julian Erosa and Andrew Todhunter. Erosa competed on The Ultimate Fighter 22 and lost to Conor McGregor’s teammate Artem Lobov on the show, but ended up getting signed, but was cut after going 1-1 in his first two fights. Todhunter had previously signed to face Albert Tumenov as a short-notice replacement for UFC 188, but passed out during his weight cut for the event and was released from the organization.

Additionally, Greg Rebello competes on next week’s show after losing his fight to Zu Anyanwu during the first season of DWTNCS. It will be the 32nd pro fight for the 36-year-old.