Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC 220 in Boston, Massachusetts. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
Islam Makhachev vs. Gleison Tibau
Makhachev: A fine performance from the Dagestan born lightweight. He made quick work of a proven veteran in Gleison Tibau. Top 15 competition is next up for the Khabib Nurmagomedov training partner. Upgraded from B- to B
Tibau: He returned from a two year suspension and looked lethargic. He was slow in this bout and was quickly finished. Tibau is aging and he appears headed on a downturn. Downgraded from B- to C+
Enrique Barzola vs. Matt Bessette
Barzola: He didn’t land too much on the feet, but was able to secure five takedowns in the fight. That was the difference in a pretty close contest. Grade remains C-
Bessette: He got the better of Barzola on the feet, but he spent too much time on his back. He needs to improve in that regard if he’s going to be able to stick around in the UFC. Grade remains D+
Julio Arce vs. Dan Ige
Arce: His footwork was excellent in this bout. He moved well in the cage landing his jab and countering when needed. He also did a good job of defending takedowns. Solid win for the debutant and one to keep an eye on moving forward. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Ige: If he was going to win this fight he needed to secure takedowns and wear out Arce. Forced into a standing exchange, he was at a major disadvantage and had little to offer his opponent. Debut grade is D
Dustin Ortiz vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Ortiz: His overall work rate was the difference in this bout. With everything left to fight for in the final couple minutes of the fight, Ortiz out struck and controlled Pantoja to get the win. Grade remains C+
Pantoja: He started really well in this fight, but he slowed down as the fight progressed and what was out worked to lose a decision. Downgraded from B- to C+
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Sabah Homasi
Alhassan: In a rematch just weeks after they had fought previously, Alhassan put an end to this rivalry with a highlight reel knockout. He’s now 3-1 in the UFC and has shown he puts on entertaining bouts. Grade remains D+
Homasi: He’s certainly willing to engage with opponents, but he’s very hittable. At 0-3 in the UFC with three knockout losses it’s difficult to see him lasting in the UFC. Grade remains D
Kyle Bochniak vs. Brandon Davis
Bochniak: He did just enough to win this fight. It was the takedowns that provided him just enough separation from his opponent. Grade remains D
Davis: He was competitive in this bout, but nothing he showed in this bout makes one believe that he can win consistently in the UFC. Grade remains D
Thomas Almeida vs. Rob Font
Almeida: He started well in this bout, but once he started getting hit it was the beginning of the end. Almeida has a lot of offensive tools, but defensively many flaws which certainly limits his ceiling. Downgraded from B to C+
Font: Easily the biggest win of his career. He went toe to toe with a great striker and was able to put him away. With the win, Font should find a place in the division’s top 15. Upgraded from C+ to B-
Francimar Barroso vs. Gian Villante
Barroso: The 37-year-old Brazilian has now lost four of his last five bouts. He was competitive in this fight, but was unable to land any big punches. Given his age and poor form, it’s difficult to see Barroso have much left in the UFC. Grade remains D-
Villante: He did well in this bout to pressure Barroso, but disappointing that he couldn’t really hurt his opponent here. Villante has long been looked at as any intriguing prospect in this division, but he seems to have plateaued. Grade remains D+
Shane Burgos vs. Calvin Kattar
Burgos: He struggled early, but seemed to find his groove in the second round focusing punches to the body. With the bout even heading into round three, he got clipped early in the final round and was shockingly finished for his first career loss. Burgos is still one to watch out for. How he responds to this loss will tell a lot about his future in this division. Downgraded from C+ to C
Kattar: He entered the UFC with not much publicity, but he’s now reeled off quality wins over Shane Burgos and Andre Fili. Kattar hasn’t lost a bout since 2010 and is surging in this division. Expect to see him in the division’s top 15 sooner rather than later. Grade remains C+
Daniel Cormier vs. Volkan Oezdemir
Cormier: Another vintage performance from the champion. He withstood the early aggression from his opponent and then took over once he sensed a drop in pace. Cormier took Oezdemir to the mat in the second round and completely dominated him getting a stoppage victory. Cormier has a real opportunity to cement his legacy if he wants to move up in weight and challenge Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title. Grade remains A++
Oezdemir: He put some pressure on Cormier in the first round, but as soon as this fight went to the floor he was levels behind Oezdemir. I’ve seen worse efforts against Cormier before. Oezdemir has shown he can compete in this weight class, but just not for the championship. Grade remains B
Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou
Miocic: He stood toe to toe with Ngannou for five minutes and looked at a minimum his equal. After the first round, he dominated the fight taking Ngannou to the mat and simply outworking him for the remainder of the bout. Miocic showed he’s the clear top heavyweight in MMA. Grade remains A+
Ngannou: At full energy he’s a clear contender in the division. Once he tires, he cannot compete with the elite. He will need to work on his conditioning if he’s going to be able to compete for the championship again. Downgraded from A+ to A-
