Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC on ESPN 4 in San Antonio, Texas. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
Felipe Colares vs. Domingo Pilarte
Colares: He looked much better in this bout than his UFC debut. His strength for the division did him well here as he was able to upset his opponent. Upgraded from F to D
Pilarte: Poor debut as he was physically manhandled for portions of the fight. He started slow and it took him too long to get going. Debut grade is D
Mario Bautista vs. Jin Soo Son
Bautista: He was the aggressor in this fight and fought particularly well in the clinch where he appeared to have a significant advantage. Upgraded from D- to D
Son: He will certainly throw with power, but takes way too many punches to land his own. He has a great chin, but at some point it’s going to give out. Downgraded from C- to D
Ray Borg vs. Gabriel Silva
Borg: Moving up to bantamweight, Borg is certainly small for the division but his tenacity is tough to deal with it. His motor won him this fight, but he’s going to struggle with size and strength in this division should he remain there. Downgraded from C to C-
Silva: He had his moments especially early in the fight, but Borg’s conditioning ultimately were too much and he was beaten by decision. A good debut for him in defeat. Debut grade is D+
Jennifer Maia vs. Roxanne Modafferi
Maia: She defended takedowns well and on the feet she is one of the more powerful punchers in the division. It wasn’t a blowout, but a sound victory over a veteran opponent. Upgraded from C to C+
Modafferi: Unable to get her opponent to the mat, Modafferi just doesn’t have any answers on the feet. This will limit her ability to win fights against top fifteen opposition. Grade remains C
Klidson Abreu vs. Sam Alvey
Abreu: He did just enough to get a decision over Sam Alvey in what was a lackluster fight. Upgraded from D- to D
Alvey: Every fight seems to look the same for Alvey. If he’s unable to get an early finish, he struggles with volume and loses decisions. Grade remains D
Irene Aldana vs. Raquel Pennington
Aldana: This was a close fight and easily could have been scored for her. They were evenly matched. Upgraded from C- to C
Pennington: She had her moments where she struggled with Aldana, but ultimately her veteran mindset and all-around skill set were the difference in a close victory. She’s taken damage in her last few fights and it seems like her skill set is starting to diminish. It’s something to watch for in future fights. Downgraded from C+ to C
Alex Caceres vs. Steven Peterson
Caceres: After a poor first round, Bruce Leroy turned up the volume easily outlanding his opponent to earn a clear decision. Caceres continues to show he can beat fighters in the lower half of the division. Upgraded from D to D+
Peterson: While he certainly puts in the effort, he’s way too hittable on the feet and takes too much damage. He’s struggled in the UFC as he’s faced better athletes. Grade remains D
Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
Arlovski: In one of his best performances in some time, Arlovski landed a whopping 152 strikes over three rounds to win a wide decision over former top ten heavyweight Ben Rothwell. Upgraded from D to C-
Rothwell: He has really struggled since his return after a long absence. He doesn’t have the offensive tenacity that he used to have. It’s possible this is the last we see of Rothwell in the UFC. Downgraded from C+ to D+
Alexander Hernandez vs. Francisco Trinaldo
Hernandez: This turned out to be a much more difficult fight for him as it forced him to fight from range. He got the win, but his stock seems to have stopped rising his level has plateaued. Grade remains C+
Trinaldo: He’s nearing the end of his career and is limited, but he did well in this fight to nearly steal a victory. I think he will struggle in other matchups, but this one was winnable given the style makeup of this bout. Grade remains C
Dan Hooker vs. James Vick
Hooker: Dan Hooker continues to project upwards after a big knockout victory. Hooker has found a place at lightweight and should be in the UFC for a long time. Upgraded from C+ to B-
Vick: He’s big for the weight class, but that seems to be a detriment as he’s now a big target to hit and doesn’t have the chin to support his lack of defense. Grade remains C+
Juan Adams vs. Greg Hardy
Adams: He attempted a takedown and lost his position. Giving Greg Hardy top position on the mat is not going to end well and it saw Adams lose by a quick TKO. Tough loss for Adams, but this fight was always going to be difficult for him. Grade remains D
Hardy: He continues to roll along as he was able to get Adams into a compromising position. Hardy finished quickly and he continues to rack up quick, impressive wins. Expect another upgrade in opponent to happen later this year. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Walt Harris vs. Aleksei Oleinik
Harris: This fight couldn’t have gone better for the “Big Ticket.” A quick knee and a punch and this was fight was over inside 15 seconds. Big win for Harris over a top fifteen opponent. Upgrade from D+ to C-
Oleinik: He’s now 42 years of age and if he gets hit clean, he’s going to be hurt. In this fight that happened, but there other times where he can avoid the strikes and secure a submission on the mat. He’s nearing the end of his career, but he’s still a crafty opponent. Downgraded from C- to D+
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Leon Edwards
Dos Anjos: In a surprising turn of events, Rafael dos Anjos failed to put up the volume and landed less strikes than Leon Edwards to be out paced for five rounds and lose a clear decision. The days that Rafael dos Anjos is a contender for a title are over. Downgraded from B+ to B-
Edwards: He has gone through one of the great runs in the past few years of MMA having beaten eight straight opponents. Solid victories over the likes Donald Cerrone, Gunnar Nelson, and now Rafael dos Anjos is excellent and he’s on the verge of finding himself in title contention. Upgraded from B- to B
