Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC 213 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsBreaker.com.
James Bochnovic vs. Trevin Giles
Bochnovic: He struggled to defend takedowns throughout this bout and showed no ability to get back to his feet. He was beat up by his opponent. Debut grade is F
Giles: An absolutely dominant victory by Giles. His speed was on full display, but it was his grappling and ground-and-pound which really stood out. He has the potential to be a Top 15 middleweight if not higher. Upgraded from D to C-
Cody Stamann vs. Terrion Ware
Stamann: It took him a few minutes to get into the fight, but once he started driving in for takedowns, he was able to control the action. He turned it on late in the fight getting the better of the striking as well. Solid debut with a high ceiling. Grade remains C-
Ware: He showed some nice punching combinations in this bout and landed both upstairs and to the body, but he didn’t have the striking power or takedown defense to make this fight competitive. Grade remains D+
Jordan Mein vs. Belal Muhammad
Mein: He landed some nice kicks early in the bout, but once his opponent turned up the pace, he began to fade and was unable to get much offense going. At this point, Mein is not close to the same fighter he was when he first got into the UFC. Downgraded from C- to D+
Muhammad: He employed a terrific game plan to wear out Mein, and he was able to do so by the end of the first round. Muhammad fights at a high pace, and that by itself makes him a tough fighter to beat unless one can overwhelm him. Grade remains C-
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Thiago Santos
Meerschaert: He secured a few takedowns early in the bout but was unable to keep Santos on the ground. On the feet, he had no answers for his opponent and eventually succumbed to strikes. Downgraded from C to C-
Santos: Impressive win for the Brazilian middleweight. He fought composed and didn’t tire himself out looking for the finish. He continues to show that he’s a Top 15 fringe middleweight. Upgraded from C to C+
Brian Camozzi vs. Chad Laprise
Camozzi: He started slow but found a groove in the second round to make this a competitive contest. He took an awkward punch to the body in the third round that he was unable to recover from. Given the odds on this fight, it was a lot more competitive than it should have been. Downgraded from D+ to D
Laprise: Despite a third-round TKO victory, it was a rather lethargic performance from the former TUF winner. He struggles with maintaining a consistent pace and slowed down in this bout. Downgraded from C- to D+
Travis Browne vs. Oleksiy Oliynyk
Browne: He had Oliynyk hurt in round one but was unable to close the deal. He took a big shot which dropped him as well, but where he lost this fight was in the grappling. He allowed his opponent opportunities to control him on the mat. Browne has taken a lot of damage in recent fights, and this was possibly his last Octagon appearance. Downgraded from C+ to D+
Oliynyk: He was in trouble early but recovered well and fought smart. He pressured Browne when he could and took advantage on the ground when opportunities presented itself. Upgraded from D to C-
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Rob Font
Andrade: He threw everything into his punches, but for the most part was always a step behind his opponent in this bout. He’s a solid fighter, but seems fit for a role to be a gatekeeper to the top half of the division. Grade remains C
Font: A strong all-around performance from the Massachusetts=based fighter. He was the first to engage throughout the bout, landing the better strikes and putting a beating on his Brazilian opponent. He’s an intriguing prospect in the bantamweight division. Upgraded from C+ to B-
Jim Miller vs. Anthony Pettis
Miller: He did a good job chopping down Pettis’ lead leg and even had his back at one point in the bout. But Miller also took too much damage on the feet and was controlled in the clinch by the former champion. Grade remains C+
Pettis: He grew in confidence as the fight went on, and it showed in his striking. What I was most impressed with was him being able to hold that type of pace for 15 minutes as well as his ability to work in the clinch. He’s still going to have issues with the division’s top wrestlers, but he’s a Top 10 lightweight in the world. Grade remains B+
Curtis Blaydes vs. Daniel Omielanczuk
Blaydes: Not his best performance, but he was smart to continue to push his opponent against the cage and control the fight. He needs to improve his striking but the talent is certainly there. Grade remains C
Omielanczuk: He came into this fight prepared and did a tremendous job of fending off takedown attempts. He wasn’t active enough on the feet to get a result, but he acquitted himself well in a fight most thought he was well overmatched in. Grade remains D+
Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum
Overeem: He fought a calculated stand-up fight, forcing Werdum to press forward. That strategy allowed “The Reem” to strike on the counter. He won the first two rounds but was clipped in round three. He did well to survive the round despite Werdum having top control for the final couple minutes of the bout. Overeem got the result he wanted and finds himself back at the top of the title challengers for heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. Grade remains B+
Werdum: He struggled to muster any substantial offense in the first 10 minutes of this bout and nearly won it deep in round three after he dropped the Dutch kickboxer. He’s still a Top 5 heavyweight but likely not for much longer. Grade remains B+
Yoel Romero vs. Robert Whittaker
Romero: He had success early, hurting Whittaker’s knee with kicks and slowing his opponent down. This fight always came down to cardio though, and Romero simply could not hold the pace in the final three rounds to win the championship. Grade remains A+
Whittaker:
