Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington DC. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
Makhmud Muradov vs. Trevor Smith
Muradov: This was a really solid performance. His footwork and combination work was on point. He really made an impression with a big-time finish in the final round. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Smith: He struggled to get any striking going and was always second to act throughout the fight. He was knocked out viciously in the third round and its likely this is the last we see of Smith in the UFC. Downgraded from D+ to D
Virna Jandiroba vs. Mallory Martin
Jandiroba: Her striking needs work, but she’s capable in securing takedowns. On the mat, she’s very competent and capable of submitting most opponents. Grade remains C+
Martin: She’s young and looks to have some talent, however she was out classed by a superior grappler. Debut grade is D+
Joe Solecki vs. Matt Wiman
Solecki: He was dominant in this fight beating Matt Wiman up in all three rounds. He looked good in his UFC debut. Debut grade at lightweight is C-
Wiman: He tried to make a comeback after a long layoff from fighting, but its evident after this fight that Wiman is no longer UFC caliber. He was completely out classed in this bout. Downgraded from D- to F
Bryce Mitchell vs. Matt Sayles
Mitchell: He really showed what he was capable of on the mat in this fight securing one of the rarest submissions in MMA. The twister submission was just the second time a fighter has won with that submission in UFC history. He’s ready for a step up in competition. Grade remains C
Sayles: He was taken down early and stunned with a rare submission. We’ll learn a lot about Sayles in his next fight. Grade remains C-
Jacob Kilburn vs. Billy Quarantillo
Kilburn: He had no answers for his opponent’s grappling prowess. This wasn’t a good performance, so he’ll need to get a win in his next bout to stick around in the UFC. Debut grade is D-
Quarantillo: This was a beating. It was reminiscent of a Khabib Nurmagomedov masterclass on the mat. Debut grade is C-
Thiago Alves vs. Tim Means
Alves: He got clocked with a straight left in the first round and was never able to recover. Alves is nearing the end of his career and should simply be put in fun fights until he calls it quits. Grade remains D+
Means: After breaking his leg earlier this year, Means looked great in his return fight getting a finish over an accomplished opponent. A good win for Means to get back into the swing of things. Grade remains C-
Rob Font vs. Ricky Simon
Font: He’s a slow starter, but in the second round he really took over this fight and looked a class above his opponent. Another solid win for the Massachusetts based fighter. Grade remains B-
Simon: He had an opportunity in the opening round, but after that he struggled to secure takedowns and took too many jabs. Grade remains C
Cody Stamann vs. Song Yadong
Stamann: He was unlucky to get the victory in this bout as he had success getting Song to the mat throughout the fight. He has struggles on the feet, but certainly an above average fighter. Grade remains C+
Yadong: He certainly got the better of the striking, but showed his limitations in the grappling. This should be a good learning experience for the young Chinese fighter. Upgraded from C to C+
Yana Kunitskaya vs. Aspen Ladd
Kunitskaya: She did well early on forcing the clinch, but struggled to defend takedowns where she had little answers for her opponent’s strong top position game. Downgraded from C+ to C
Ladd: She continues to improve. She combined power striking along with ferocious ground and pound to get a quality win. Upgraded from C+ to B-
Ben Rothwell vs. Stefan Struve
Rothwell: He was down in this fight, but picked up the pace after a deducted point to earn the finish. It was an ugly way to win, but a victory is a victory. Grade remains C-
Struve: He was doing well in this fight, but the low blows took their toll. This was a tough loss for Struve as he was up in this fight. Grade remains C-
Cynthia Calvillo vs. Marina Rodriguez
Calvillo: She doesn’t have any power on the feet, but once she gets opponents to the mat she is able to threaten with both strikes and submissions. She’s a dangerous fighter that was one second away from a finish in the third round. Grade remains B-
Rodriguez: Her striking looked good throughout the fight. This is a fight she should have won if she had been able to stop the takedown in the third round. Upgraded from C+ to B-
Alistair Overeem vs. Jair Rozenstruik
Overeem: He won the first rounds and was in cruise control until the final seconds of the bout. One bomb landed by his opponent changed everything. A brutal loss for Overeem who took significant facial damage. If he had just kept his hands up for five more seconds, he would have won an easy decision. Downgraded from B- to C+
Rozenstruik: The Suriname born and raised fighter was taken to school early in this bout. He struggled to defend takedowns and was unable to land any significant strikes of value. It all turned around for him in the closing seconds, when he landed a short left and followed it up with a massive right that knocked out the legendary Alistair Overeem. It was a mega win for Rozenstruik that now puts him in position to face a top five opponent. Upgraded from C- to C
