Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC 219 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com
Mark De La Rosa vs. Tim Elliott De La Rosa: He showed some decent submission work off his back, but his inability to defend takedowns was the difference in this bout. This was a tough UFC debut fight and he was in trouble early on and never regained his composure. Downgraded from C- to D+ Elliott: He went back to his bread and butter in this bout. He grappled De La Rosa from the onset and dominated him on the mat. He will be tough out against most fighters in the division. Grade remains B- Mattheus Nicolau vs. Louis Smolka Nicolau: A really good fight from Nicolau from start to finish. He showed improvements in his striking and had very little problems with Smolka. Grade remains C+ Smolka: A disappointing performance from Smolka who was dropped in this fight multiple times and never was able to get any offense going. Downgraded from C to C- Omari Akhmedov vs. Marvin Vettori Akhmedov: He did a great job of cutting off distance and landing some heavy punches. As he grew tired, his volume slowed and he took a lot of damage in round three. Two judges gave Vettori a 10-8 third round and it cost Akhmedov a win and instead the fight ended in a draw. Grade remains D+ Vettori: He found himself late in this fight, but he’s very hittable and lacks the big power to consistently hurt opponents. Downgraded from C- to D+ Rick Glenn vs. Myles Jury Glenn: He had some decent moments on the feet, but he was taken to the mat too easily in this bout and it cost him. Grade remains C- Jury: He was a different class of fighter here. The grappling difference was night and day. If he fights more often, he can be a factor in the featherweight division. Grade remains B- Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Khalil Rountree Oleksiejczuk: He didn’t look good early in this fight, but he really took advantage of a tired opponent earning a win as a big underdog in his UFC debut. Upgraded from D- to D Rountree: He’s very good to start rounds, but his conditioning simply isn’t good enough to compete in the UFC long term. The only reason he lost this fight is he was fatigued by the end of each round and took too many punches as a result. Downgraded from D+ to D Carlos Condit vs. Neil Magny Condit: Whether it was ring rust or he lost a step, he had no answers for Magny in this bout and was on the losing end of this fight for all 15 minutes. Downgraded from B to C+ Magny: He had a great gameplan in this fight forcing Condit to constantly work and mixing in some takedowns. This was another solid win for Magny who should solidify a spot in the rankings with this win. Upgraded from C+ to B- Cynthia Calvillo vs. Carla Esparza Calvillo: She was the bigger, stronger fighter in this bout, but struggled with volume in the second half of the fight. This was a close fight, but the decision not going her way was the correct result. Grade remains B- Esparza: Given how well Calvillo fought in the opening round, Esparza’s back was against the wall. She did very to outwork her opponent in the final two rounds to take a deserved decision to show that she is still a threat in this weight class. Grade remains B- Marc Diakiese vs. Dan Hooker Diakiese: He has a lot of flash, but any opponent with an appropriate game plan is able to avoid those strikes. He will need to round out his game if he’s going to be able to stick around in the UFC. Downgraded from C- to D+ Hooker: He had a really effective gameplan utilizing his length and not getting into a firefight with Diakiese. He earned an opportunistic submission in the third round to put a stamp on the victory. Upgraded from C- to C Edson Barboza vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov Barboza: Like nearly all fighters, Barboza had no answers for Nurmagomedov’s grappling. On the feet, he did have some success, but he was absolutely beaten up on the mat. No shame in this loss, so his grade will remain at a B+. Nurmagomedov: Another vintage performance by the Dagestani fighter. He put a lot of pressure on Barboza on the feet and once he was able to get him to the mat, he delivered terrific ground and pound. It’s clear to me he’s the best fighter in the division. It’s just a matter of him being given an opportunity to win the title. Grade remains A++ Cris Cyborg bs. Holly Holm Cyborg: This was certainly her most difficult fight in the UFC, but her power was the key for her in this bout as she landed the heavier shots to win a decision over Holly Holm. Grade remains A++ Holm: She fought a pretty good fight pushing Cyborg against the cage to try and slow her down. Her problem was that she was at a power disadvantage and was unable to land any fight altering shots. It was a good effort against a tremendous fighter, but not nearly enough to win the fight. Grade remains A-
