Dana White Calls DWCS Signing 'Greatest Talent' In Show's History

Dana White declared undefeated lightweight Akbar Abdullaev the greatest talent to ever appear on his Contender Series, ranking the former ONE Championship fighter above past signees Sean O'Malley and Jamahal Hill.

White delivered the verdict after Abdullaev flattened Alex Pereira's teammate Ednilson Santos with a single right hand just 19 seconds into their bout earlier this week, as BJ Penn first reported. The UFC boss told Laura Sanko in his post-event interview that the punch "sounded like a baseball bat."

"I'm going to go out on a limb here, and I'm going to call you possibly the greatest talent that's ever been on this show in 10 years," White said, per MMA Junkie. "I think that you're going to be a huge superstar and a very big threat in this sport."

Abdullaev brings a 14-0 record into the UFC, including five wins under the ONE banner. His knockout earned him a contract on the spot. White had previously used similar language to describe welterweight Michael Morales after his Contender Series performance.

Both O'Malley and Hill won UFC titles after earning contracts through the series. O'Malley's knockout on DWCS remains one of the most-watched moments in the show's history. Abdullaev is expected to make his promotional debut later this year.