Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC Fight Night 111 in Singapore. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsBreaker.com.
Ji Yeon Kim vs. Lucie Pudilova Kim: She did a nice job of landing on the feet but couldn’t keep off the cage. Grade remains D
Pudilova: After getting out struck in the second round, Pudlova employed a grappling tactic pushing her opponent to the cage to secure the third round and win a decision on the scorecards. Grade remains D+
Naoki Inoue vs. Carls Johns de Tomas Inoue: He took his opponent’s back in all three rounds to earn a dominant decision win. This fight was not close. Debut grade is D
De Tomas: He was easily outgrappled in each round. He looked completely out of his depth on the ground. Debut grade is F
Russell Doane vs. Kwan Ho Kwak Doane: It took him a few minutes to get into this fight, but once he pressed Kwak against the cage, he landed in volume. A big right hand dropped his South Korean opponent towards the end of the first round and won the fight. Grade remains C-
Kwak: He was holding his own early, but once he started backing up, it was the beginning of the end for Kwak. Grade remains D+
Frank Camacho vs. Li Jingliang Camacho: An excellent first round where he dropped Jingliang, but his cardio failed him. He was running on empty in the third round and ended up having to absorb a lot of clean strikes. Upgraded from D- to D
Jingliang: A slow start for Jingliang, but once he found his rhythm, he was able to land his punches with regularity. The way he finished the third round is a positive development for a normally fast starter. Grade remains D+
Ulka Sasaki vs. Justin Scoggins Sasaki: He was opportunistic in this bout, finding a way to a submission victory after being way behind in this bout. Grade remains C-
Scoggins: He once again decided to grapple with an opponent and got caught in a choke. Offensively, he’s a very good fighter, but he has terrible fight intelligence and has now lost a handful of fights in which he was way ahead in. Downgraded from B- to C-
Alex Caceres vs. Rolando Dy Caceres: He saw minimal adversity in this fight, as he was winning from start to finish prior to the doctor stopping it at the conclusion of round two. Grade remains C-
Dy: He was getting beaten in both the striking and grappling exchanges prior to the doctor stopping the fight. Dy doesn’t look like a fighter who can compete long term in the UFC. Debut grade is D-
Cyril Asker vs. Walt Harris Asker: Once he was put on his back, he had now answers for Harris’ ground-and-pound. This was fight was stopped in the first round, and rightfully so. Grade remains D-
Harris: An excellent performance from “The Big Ticket.” His ground-and-pound was vicious, giving his opponent no chance to recover. Upgraded from D to D+
Takanori Gomi vs. Jon Tuck Gomi: He never got into this fight and was hurt very early in the bout. He’s now lost four fights in a row and clearly cannot compete with UFC-caliber fighters anymore. Downgraded from D- to F-
Tuck: He beat up a fighter who is no longer capable of fighting at a high level. Gomi is a name, but that’s it at this point. Grade remains D
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Tarec Saffiedine Dos Anjos: His forward pressure and volume work was enough to win a clear victory on the scorecards. With the win, dos Anjos should move into the Top 10 of the welterweight rankings. Grade remains B
Saffiedine: He’s a tough guy to look good against, but Saffiedine doesn’t have the punching power to hurt opponents. It really limits his ability in this division. Downgraded from B- to C+
Colby Covington vs. Dong Hyun Kim Covington: He took some damage on the feet, but his ability to control opponents via wrestling is right near the top of the division. A big win by Covington, which should see him enter the UFC’s welterweight Top 15 rankings next week. Upgraded from B- to B
Kim: At 35 years of age, Kim simply doesn’t have consistent enough striking to beat the better fighters in the division. If he’s going to have trouble controlling the grappling, he’ll have a hard time winning fights. Downgraded from B- to C+
Andrei Arlovski vs. Marcin Tybura Arlovski: On the feet, Arlovski had a real advantage in this fight, but every time he was taken to the mat, he was completely exposed by his opponent. He was beat up on the ground, offering no answers. Downgraded from C to C-
Tybura: He was the better fighter, but he put himself in some difficult situations, as his cardio really gave up on him after the opening round. In a division desperate for new talent, Tybura is on his way up the rankings. Grade remains C
Bethe Correia vs. Holly Holm Correia: She employed a smart strategy early on by not being over-aggressive, but she couldn’t do that for five rounds. All it took was one head kick, and she was sent to the canvas. This was a terrible matchup for Correia, and the end result proves it. Downgraded from C+ to C
Holm: After a rather dull opening two rounds, Holm showed her striking prowess by landing a perfectly placed shin to the head of Correia, giving her the victory to end a three-fight losing streak. It was a win she desperately needed to get back in title contention. Grade remains A-
