Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC Fight Night 139 in Denver, Colorado. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
Mark de la Rosa vs. Joby Sanchez
De La Rosa: While he takes too much damage to get his strikes in, he’s a savvy fighter with a lot of variety. He did a good job landing in combination and knows when to speed or slow down the action. He had less than a week to prepare for this fight, but was still able to get the job done. Grade remains C-
Sanchez: He has the length to do well as a striker in the flyweight division, but he doesn’t strike well in combination and his ground game is too limited to challenge the better fighters in the division. Grade remains D+
Joseph Morales vs. Eric Shelton
Morales: His inability to stop takedown attempts is a major issue. It cost him the fight with Eric Shelton. Downgraded from C- to D+
Shelton: He showed improvements in this bout fighting a consistent paced throughout but it was his wrestling that really stood out and allowed him to control a tough opponent. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Julian Erosa vs. Devonte Smith
Erosa: Not much to take away from this fight for Erosa as he was clipped early on and finished. His first UFC stint didn’t go well and this one didn’t’ start well either. Grade remains D-
Smith: An excellent debut for the lightweight prospect as he threw accurate punches and ran through Julian Erosa. A real step up in competition should be on the way. Debut grade is C-
John Gunther vs. Davi Ramos
Gunther: This was an awful matchup for him and once he was taken to the mat, it was just a matter of when he would be submitted. Gunther will likely get one more opportunity in the UFC to prove he can stick with UFC level talent. Downgraded from D- to F
Ramos: A dominant performance in a fight he was expected to dominate. Ramos has a lot of talent, but he’ll need to be able to do it against quality opposition before we get too excited about him. Upgraded from C- to C
Bobby Moffett vs. Chas Skelly
Moffett: He struggled in the opening round, but took advantage of a tired opponent in the second round and was able to secure a submission. Moffett has a good gas tank which will make him a tough out in the UFC. Grade remains C
Skelly: He’s a big featherweight that is formidable when rested, but he tires too quickly and struggles mightily against fighters with a good endurance. Downgraded from C to C-
Amanda Cooper vs. Ashley Yoder
Cooper: She did well in this bout and was unlucky not to get her hand raised. Where she struggled was in the transitions. She lost good positions on the mat allowing Yoder opportunities. Still, this was a very close fight and on another night with different judges she could have gotten her hand raised. Grade remains C-
Yoder: Her offensive wrestling isn’t particularly good, but she’s dangerous from all positions on the mat and is good in scrambles. She’ll rarely dominate a fight, but she’s good enough to be always be a threat and to win fights in the UFC. Grade remains C-
Luis Pena vs. Mike Trizano
Pena: He struggled to find a groove on the feet and while he had some success on the mat, he ran of energy in the third round and it cost him the bout. A disappointing performance after such a successful UFC debut earlier this year. Downgraded from C- to D+
Trizano: He fought smart on the feet and did well to avoid any major damage from his opponent. He had some uncomfortable moments on the mat, but he put in a full shift to earn the decision victory. Grade remains D+
Maycee Barber vs. Hannah Cifers
Barber: In her first UFC fight, Maycee Barber fought like a top prospect in the strawweight division. Her relentlessness on the feet and power striking is one to watch as she works her way up to the division. Upgraded from C to C+
Cifers: She landed some punches in the first round, but just couldn’t get anything going in the second round. Once her opponent got going, there was no opportunity for her to get back in the fight. Grade remains D
Beneil Dariush vs. Thiago Moises
Dariush: One of the most prepared fighters in the UFC, Dariush came into this fight with a game plan and executed it tremendously taking Moises to the mat in all three rounds dominating him in the grappling exchanges to win a dominant decision. Dariush was in dire need of a win after a run of poor form, so this was a good result for him. Upgraded from C+ to B-
Moises: He came into this bout with a good amount of hype, but he was completely stifled by the grappling success of his opponent. I won’t write off Moises just yet, but this was not an inspiring performance. Downgraded from C+ to C-
Germaine de Randamie vs. Raquel Pennington
De Randamie: Her takedown defense continues to look good and when she’s able to force opponents to fight her on the feet, she’s one of the best bantamweights in the world. Upgraded from B- to B+
Pennington: Not an inspiring performance from the former title challenger. She tried to push de Randamie against the cage, but was able to muster much in those positions. Out in the open, she was out classed by the Dutch kickboxer. Downgraded from B- to C+
Donald Cerrone vs. Mike Perry
Cerrone: Outmatched on the feet, Cowboy took advantage of an opportunity when the fight went to the mat and he was able to submit Mike Perry to become the winningest fighter in UFC history. Grade remains C+
Perry: On the feet, he had the advantage and was a clear threat, but he made a terrible mistake taking Cerrone to the mat where his opponent had a significant edge. Perry was caught in an armbar and forced to tap. A brutal loss for Perry who continues to struggle against the sport’s most intelligent fighters. Grade remains C
Chan Sung Jung vs. Yair Rodriguez
Jung: He had only fought once over the past five years prior to UFN 139, but he did well and showed the necessary endurance to fight five rounds at altitude. He really started to get the better of his opponent in the later part of the fight and would have won should he not have been knocked out in the closing seconds of round five. Upgraded from B- to B
Rodriguez: He got into a fire fight with a fighter who thrives in that department. He cut Jung with an elbow and did some damage, but was not able to keep up with the volume of his opponent. Luckily for Rodriguez he landed a reverse upward elbow right before the final bell to knock the Korean Zombie out cold and win the fight. It was an all time great knockout that will be remembered for years to come and gives Rodriguez the biggest win of his career. Upgraded from B- to B
