Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC on ESPN 6 in Boston, Massachusetts. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
Tanner Boser vs. Daniel Spitz
Boser: He did a really good job landing and moving throughout the fight to not give his opponent a static target. He ran away with this fight for a win in his UFC debut. Debut grade is D
Spitz: He continues to struggle against UFC competition. He doesn’t have the volume or fire power to hurt his competition. Downgraded from F to F-
Brendan Allen vs. Kevin Holland
Allen: He took some damage on the feet as he is very aggressive, but he doesn’t stop. On the mat, he threatens with submissions and is very slick in scramble situations. That was on display as he earned a solid victory in his UFC debut. Debut grade is D+
Holland: He landed the better punches throughout the fight. Unfortunately for Holland, he was sloppy on the mat losing positions and it cost him the fight. Grade remains D+
Sean Brady vs. Court McGee
Brady: His speed really stood out to me as he landed consistently with power in this fight. He slowed down a bit late in the bout, but that’s expected with the pace he implements, Solid win for Brady as I came away impressed. Debut grade is C-
McGee: His lack of punching power is a real issue as it is tough for him to keep his opponents honest. He has his moments with his pressure and conditioning, but it’s tough for him to truly capitalize because he lacks a knockout punch. Grade is D
Randy Costa vs. Boston Salmon
Costa: He came out firing in this fight and it worked out wonderfully for him. He landed a straight right hand early and often knocking out Salmon for his first UFC win. Upgraded from D to D+
Salmon: It’s clear he cannot take a punch with four-ounce gloves like he was able to with traditional boxing gloves. Salmon has been a major disappointment in the UFC and with this loss it is difficult seeing him sticking around in the promotion. Downgraded from C- to D
Kyle Bochniak vs. Sean Woodson
Bochniak: He certainly pushed forward, but he struggled with the range of his opponent and had no answer for Woodson’s jab. He was never in this bout. Grade remains D+
Woodson: This was an excellent debut performance for Sean Woodson. His jab was on point, he countered nicely with combinations, and his takedown defense was sturdy. I’d like to see him against a more skilled striker in his next bout. Debut grade is C-
Diana Belbita vs. Molly McCann
Belbita: She fought competently on the feet. Her problem in this bout was grappling. She looked lost in those exchanges and in a grappling heavy division, it’s difficult seeing her having any success. Grade remains D-
McCann: She didn’t have the success I thought she would on the feet, but as soon as she got Belbita to the mat she was dominant landing significant ground and pound. Variety is important in MMA and McCann showed that in this bout. Grade remains D+
Manny Bermudez vs. Charles Rosa
Bermudez: He was in dominant position for nearly the whole fight, but was caught in an armbar and had to submit. Someone that is as good of a grappler as Bermudez is just cannot lose in this way. Bad performance from Bermudez. Downgraded from C to C-
Rosa: Getting taken down and beaten up on the mat isn’t good, but he found a way to submit a very good grappler. Getting a win after nearly three years outside of the Octagon is pretty impressive. Grade remains C-
Darren Stewart vs. Deron Winn
Stewart: Once his opponent slowed down, he took over the fight landing the bigger punches and squeaking out a decision victory. Upgraded from D to D+
Winn: The talent is certainly evident, but he is way undersized for the division and doesn’t have the conditioning to truly excel in this division. He’d be best served dropping down in weight. Grade remains D+
Maycee Barber vs. Gillian Robertson
Barber: Her power was once again too much for her opponent to overcome. Once she hurts her opponents, she swarms as well as anyone in the division and forced the referee to step in and stop the bout. At this rate, it won’t be long before she’s booked against Valentina Shevchenko. Grade remains B-
Robertson: She has some ability and she’s still under 25 years in age, but she’s just not in Barber’s class. Grade remains C-
Joe Lauzon vs. Jonathan Pearce
Lauzon: He turned back the clock earning a quick TKO victory to fire up his hometown crowd in Boston. Grade remains D+
Pearce: A dreadful performance in which he was stung by multiple Lauzon punches. Once taken to the mat, it was all but over. It’s hard to see him sticking around long term in the UFC. Debut grade is D-
Greg Hardy vs. Ben Sosoli
Hardy: He fought with more composure and didn’t press for a finish. It was the first time he went 15 minutes in a fight. With that said, he used an inhaler and continues to make poor decisions costing him moving up in the division. Grade remains C-
Sosoli: He went three rounds with Greg Hardy, so that is an accomplishment. Unfortunately for him, he did nothing to hurt Hardy or to make him change his strategy. Debut grade is D
Yair Rodriguez vs. Jeremy Stephens
Rodriguez: He was very good in the first two rounds, but started to slow down in the third round. If this fight had been booked for five rounds, he would have been in a lot of trouble. Grade remains B
Stephens: He struggled to defend the body kick and took a lot more damage than he needed to as a result of it. He came on strong in the second half of the fight, but it was too little too late. Downgraded from B+ to B
Dominick Reyes vs. Chris Weidman
Reyes: He was able to get quickly back to his feet when taken down by Chris Weidman. On the feet, his hands looked great as he landed on the counter to setup the finish. A big win for Reyes and he’s on the cusp of a chance to fight Jon Jones. Upgraded from B- to B+
Weidman: He started well going for the takedown and trying control the fight, but once he wasn’t able to hold Reyes down, the fight turned. Weidman is nearing the end of the career and all the damage he has taken over the years has lowered his durability considerably. Grade remains C+
