Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC Fight Night 118 in Gdansk, Poland. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
Felipe Arantes vs. Josh Emmett
Arantes: A really poor performance from the former TUF Brazil competitor. He was knocked down four times in this bout and struggled to combine strikes together. He’s now lost his last two bouts and likely needs to win his next fight to stay in the UFC. Downgraded from C- to D+
Emmett: His power striking really seemed to stand out to his move to featherweight. However, he did slow down considerably after the opening round and his inability to fight at a constant pace is going to cost him against better opposition. Grade remains C-
Aspen Ladd vs. Lina Lansberg
Ladd: She gave away the first round, but came out full force in round two putting together some of the most effective ground and pound one has seen in the division. Solid win for her UFC debut and at just 22 years of age, one of the brightest prospects in the weight class. Upgraded from C to C+
Lansberg: She was doing just fine after five minutes, but as soon as the fight hit the mat she was in big trouble. Lansberg will have success in the UFC in the stand up, but certainly has her flaws when it comes to the grappling aspects of MMA. Grade remains D+
Warlley Alves vs. Salim Touahri
Alves: It wasn’t his best performance, but it was controlled and he showed a good amount of variety to get his hand raised. Grade remains C
Touahri: He landed some decent punches, but nothing really that challenged his opponent. He lost the fight, but showed he can compete with someone like Alves. Debut grade is D
Andre Fili vs. Artem Lobov
Fili: He landed a beautiful head kick in round that nearly put Lobov away, but it was ultimately his takedowns later in the fight that sealed the victory for him. Grade remains C
Lobov: He’s certainly tough and he continues to push forward which can frustrate opponents, but he’s extremely hittable and his takedown defense is a real hole in his fighting game. Downgraded from C- to D+
Sam Alvey vs. Ramazan Emeev
Alvey: He missed weight for this contest which really was a factor in him struggling with output in this fight. A bad performance for the veteran middleweight. Downgraded from C- to D+
Emeev: Landed some big shots early and was smart to fight Alvey in tight quarters to avoid Alvey’s typical rush forward with power shots approach. It wasn’t a great performance, but it was effective and he got the job done to win in his UFC debut. Grade remains C-
Brian Kelleher vs. Damian Stasiak
Kelleher: An excellent all-around performance from the New York native. He weaved together strikes, wrestling, and submission attempts. This was a good comeback fight after a poor performance against Marlon Vera. Upgraded from C- to C
Stasiak: Landed some nice punches early, but struggled to get his opponent to the mat. On the feet, it became apparent that his striking acumen was not at the same level of his opponent and it ultimately cost him in this bout. Grade remains C-
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Marcin Held
Haqparast: When he was able to keep the fight standing, he fought with confidence. He’s a young fighter and one that showed glimpses in his debut that he can have success in the UFC. Debut grade is D+
Held: He was able to secure a few takedowns in this fight where he had a clear advantage, but it was nervy at times for him as he was knocked down in the second round and was at a clear disadvantage on the feet. Grade remains C-
Oskar Piechota vs. Jonathan Wilson
Piechota: He fought like a veteran in his UFC debut showing tremendous submission and transition techniques in the grappling aspects of this fight. He was close to finishing several times in this fight and is certainly one to watch in the middleweight division. Debut grade is C-
Wilson: He landed some decent punches on the feet and did well to avoid being submitted by a talented grappler on the mat, but overall this wasn’t good a debut in a new weight class for him. Debut grade at middleweight is D
Jan Blachowicz vs. Devin Clark
Blachowicz: He focused on body kicks early in this fight to try to slow down Clark. He was able to land a takedown in the second round which really extended his lead in this bout, but it was his standing rear naked choke which stole the show and won him the fight. Grade remains C-
Clark: His work rate is good for this division, but he’s too small for the weight class and I expect him to struggle against most light heavyweights. Grade remains D
Jodie Esquibel vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Esquibel: She did well in the opening round staying active and providing some level of opposition to her Polish opponent. As the fight wore on, she simply couldn’t keep up with the output of Kowalkiewicz and simply fought just to make it to the scorecards. Debut grade is D
Kowalkiewicz: Another volume heavy performance from Kowalkiewicz. When not tasked with fighting an excellent wrestler, Kowalkiewicz will always look good. This fight was no exception. With a likely number one contender fight with Jessica Andrade looming, the Polish strawweight is once again in the title conversation. Grade remains A-
Donald Cerrone vs. Darren Till
Cerrone: As soon as he stepped in the cage, he appeared aged and not his usual relaxed self. He fought off the back foot for as long as the fight lasted and eventually succumbed to strikes. He’s now lost three straight fights in the UFC. Downgraded from B+ to C+
Till: His self-confidence really stands out as he fought no fear against a high caliber opponent in Donald Cerrone. Till dominated the matchup forcing Cerrone on the back foot and landing several clean punches forcing his opponent to turtle up and the referee to stop the fight. Upgraded from C to B-
