Akbar Abdullaev's 19-Second KO Headlines Four DWCS Signings

Week 6 of Contender Series Season 10 handed out four UFC contracts, and Dana White didn't bother playing it cool about one of them. He called Akbar Abdullaev the best talent that's ever appeared on the show — a huge line from a man who's watched hundreds of hopefuls audition for a roster spot. The former ONE fighter earned it in 19 seconds, blasting Ednilson Santos with a single right hand that dropped the Brazilian in slow motion.

Abdullaev topped a stacked night of finishes. White signed him alongside Mayton Perea, Igor Cavalcanti and Luis Hernandez, pushing the UFC's Season 10 signing total to 28. Tyshawn Williams was the odd man out — he won his fight but got told he'd have to come back and do it again later this season to secure a deal.

The Fastest Finishes

Perea set the tone before anyone had a chance to blink. He caught Zevan Hunt in the opening exchange, hurt him, and then just kept marching forward. Two more knockdowns followed, capped by a wave of hammer fists that forced the stoppage at 45 seconds of round one. There was no feeling-out process — just pressure from the first bell.

Cavalcanti's finish came a little slower but was arguably more polished. He floored Oscar Ravello with a straight right in an early scramble, then followed him to the canvas without overcommitting. He chipped away methodically, staying measured while Ravello rolled and tried to survive, until the referee had seen enough at 1:38. It's a smart-looking addition to a welterweight who now carries a 13-2 record with 10 knockouts. He arrives in the UFC hungry, too — his most recent bout was a decision loss to Seokhyeon Ko.

Then came Abdullaev. Santos had barely settled into his stance before the right hand landed. The Brazilian face-planted, White's cageside reaction said everything, and the whole thing was over almost before it started. Nineteen seconds is the kind of number that gets a prospect fast-tracked into conversations he hasn't earned yet — but that's the risk when your CEO calls you the greatest talent to ever step onto his showcase.

Hernandez Grinds It Out

Luis Hernandez didn't get a highlight-reel one-shot, but he showed the most complete skill set of the night. He opened with a takedown, transitioned to a nasty body kick and an overhand that rattled Hugo Guillon, and stayed relentless into the second round.

That aggression nearly backfired. Guillon clipped him with a stiff knee up the middle and threatened a D'arce choke. Hernandez slipped out, reversed the position and locked up a rear-naked choke to force the tap at 1:01 of round two. Escaping trouble and immediately turning it into a finish is exactly the kind of adaptability the UFC wants to see from a debutant.

Williams Wins But Waits

Tyshawn Williams was the one who left without a deal, and the reason was visible in real time. The former college wrestler leaned hard on his grappling, scoring takedown after takedown against Antonio Monteiro — but he gassed himself doing it. He stayed in control for the unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27), dragging Monteiro back down whenever the Brazilian looked to escape.

The problem is that control-heavy decisions rarely get contracts on this show, and White wants finishers. Williams did enough to win the fight and buy himself another audition later this season. Monteiro, now 18-5-1 with six submissions on his record, sees his slide continue after dropping a decision to Yadier del Valle in his most recent outing.

For the four who signed, the work only gets harder from here. The Contender Series is the easy part; the UFC roster is where prospects find out how much of the hype was real. Abdullaev in particular now walks in with a target on his back — nobody gets called the best talent in show history and then quietly builds their way up.

Expect all four to be matched against fellow newcomers or unranked veterans for their debuts, the standard proving ground. If Abdullaev fights half as fast as he did here, he won't stay under the radar for long. And if Cavalcanti's power translates at 170, he could be one of the more interesting names to emerge from this season's class.