Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC 214 in Anaheim, California. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
Josh Burkman vs. Drew Dober Burkman: He landed a few shots in the pocket, but the first heavy left that his opponent was able to get through put Burkman on the canvas. With the loss, this is likely the last fight for Burkman in the UFC, with retirement possibly on the horizon. Downgraded from D+ to D Dober: He’s really made some improvements since moving to Team Elevation. His takedown defense is better as well as his footwork. He’s always had power in his hands, and that was on display in this bout as he was able to floor Burkman with a fantastic left hand. Upgraded from D+ to C- Jarred Brooks vs. Eric Shelton Brooks: He was able to secure takedowns early in this fight and held on to win a split decision on the scorecards. Grade remains C Shelton: He struggled to defend takedowns early in the bout and was too complacent in the later rounds to definitely win them. He lost a split decision in a bout he should have won. Downgraded from C to C- Alexandra Albu vs. Kailin Curran Albu: She landed some heavy shots early in this bout and controlled her opponent using brute physical strength. She slowed down significantly in the third round but still did enough in the opening two rounds to earn a decision. Grade remains C- Curran: She had some positive moments in this fight when she was able to string combinations together, but her striking defense isn’t good enough. She’s very hittable on the feet, giving her opponent an easy target in this bout. It was a better overall performance than recent bouts, but one has to wonder how many chances the UFC will give her before cutting her loose. Upgraded from D- to D Andre Fili vs. Calvin Kattar Fili: This was a rather flat performance by Fili ,who never was able to prevent Kattar from pressuring. He may have thrown at a high volume, but his accuracy really let him down in this bout. Downgraded from C+ to C Kattar: An excellent debut for the Massachusetts-based featherweight. He fought composed throughout the bout having success with combinations and landing his over hand right. A huge win and one that could put him near the Top 15 of the division. Debut grade is C+ Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega Moicano: His output was really high in this fight with his combination work, but it was the body work of his opponent that started to slow him down in the final round. He made a critical mistake looking to take Ortega to the mat and was caught in a submission. Even with the loss, Moicano proved he is a Top 15 featherweight. Grade remains B- Ortega: His undefeated streak continues, as he once again earned a third-round finish. In this bout, he showed improvements in his striking skill set, combining punches to the head and body. However, it is ability to latch in submissions, which he makes him a real threat in this division and closing in on title contention. Upgraded from B- to B+ Renan Barao vs. Aljamain Sterling Barao: He had a solid first round, but like in some previous fights, Barao slowed down significantly in round two and was not able to muster much offense after that. Barao’s level has dropped dramatically since his title battles with TJ Dillashaw. Downgraded from B- to C+ Sterling: After dropping the opening round, he picked up the pace dramatically in round two, landing both kicks and punches. It was grappling that really slowed down Barao and allowed Sterling to take over and get the win. He’s a sure-fire Top 10 bantamweight, but he’ll need to beat a Top 5 opponent before being considered a title threat. Upgraded from B to B+ Jason Knight vs. Ricardo Lamas Knight: He was dangerous off his back in this bout, but he didn’t have much for Lamas on the feet. He took a lot of clean punches and was eventually put away. Grade remains B- Lamas: A strong performance from the veteran featherweight. He was able to take Knight to the mat, but more importantly dominate in the standing exchanges. Lamas earned a first-round stoppage to solidify his Top 5 ranking. Grade remains B+ Jimi Manuwa vs. Volkan Oezdemir Manuwa: Worst-case scenario for the light heavyweight contender. He was hurt in the clinch in an early exchange, and as he backed away, he was dropped and finished. This was as close as Manuwa got to a title challenge, and at 37 years of age, it’s hard to see him getting close again. Downgraded from B- to C+ Oezdemir: His stunning run at light heavyweight continues, as he’s beaten Ovince St. Preux, Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa consecutively. He’s put himself in position to potentially be in line for a title shot. Whether or not he gets that opportunity remains to be seen. Upgraded from C+ to B Donald Cerrone vs. Robbie Lawler Cerrone: He fought a very close fight with former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. He wasn’t able to maintain the pace Lawler was able to in the final round, and that was the difference. Grade remains B+ Lawler: In his first fight in 12 months, Lawler came out firing from the opening bell. He was a little rusty defensively and was forced to eat some shots. But ultimately, he did enough to earn a decision. Given that other contenders have emerged in the last year, it’s plausible that Lawler gets the next crack at Tyron Woodley. Grade remains A- Cris Cyborg vs. Tonya Evinger Cyborg: It may have taken her longer than expected to get the finish, but this fight was a showcase for her to show her striking prowess in front of the UFC’s biggest Pay-Per-View audience thus far in 2017. Cyborg is the best featherweight in the world by a wide margin and could have a long title reign. Grade remains A++ Evinger: She was willing to engage with Cyborg when few would do that. She certainly showed she is tough and durable but didn’t have what it takes to really put Cyborg in a compromising positions. She’s a solid fighter and will be competitive in the UFC. Grade remains B Demian Maia vs. Tyron Woodley Maia: This was a terrible matchup for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace. He was tasked with facing the fighter with the best takedown defense in the division. With no ability to get Woodley to the mat, he was forced into a standing exchange. An exchange he had no chance winning. Grade remains A Woodley: It wasn’t his best performance, but he’s been the only fighter in years to be able to stifle Maia’s takedown defense and force him into a full-fledged striking bout. He wasn’t able to finish, but he won this bout with relative ease, proving he’s the best welterweight currently on the UFC roster. Upgraded from A to A+ Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones Cormier: He employed a very good game plan through the first 10 minutes. He was able to close the range against Jones in a back-and-forth contest. It was the third round that saw the fight completely turn. He took a heavy leg kick flush to the temple, and from there, that was it. Cormier has now lost twice to Jones and has to settle for being second best in this division. Grade remains A+ Jones: In a career-defining moment, Jones landed a flush kick to the head that sent his archrival Cormier stumbling backwards. Jones was then able to get the dazed Cormier to the mat and finish him off was elbows and punches. Jones won his title back that he had never really lost and solidified his position as the best fighter in the history of the sport. Grade remains A++
