Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC Fight Night 125 in Belem, Brazil. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Morales
Figueiredo: Excellent performance. His power really put his opponent on the back foot. He combined that with solid work on the ground for a competent all around victory to remain undefeated. Upgraded from C to C+
Morales: He really didn’t do well with the power of Morales. Furthermore, he was pushed around and dominated on the mat. Back to the drawing board. Downgraded from C to C-
Iuri Alcantara vs. Joe Soto
Alcantara: No fighter in the UFC has ups and downs like Alcantara. This was one of those up fights for Alcantara as he quickly dismissed Joe Soto by first round knockout. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Soto: On another day, this would have been a much different fight, however it was not meant to be as he got beat up in this one. Grade remains C-
Maia Stevenson vs. Polyana Viana
Stevenson: She was never competitive in this fight and was soundly beaten in each facet of this bout. It’s hard to see her getting another opportunity in the UFC. Downgraded from D- to F-
Viana: This was a dominant performance. Once this fight went to the mat, it was completely one sided. Viana has the tools to be very competitive right away in this division. In a division where there isn’t a lot of finishers, Viana stands out from the pack. Upgraded from C- to C
Damir Hadzovic vs. Alan Patrick
Hadzovic: In MMA, no matter how good someone is on the feet, if that individual cannot stop takedowns he will struggle in the UFC. That is exactly what happened to Hadzovic. He was taken down eight times in this bout and was never competitive against Patrick. Downgraded from C- to D+
Patrick: He hadn’t fought since 2016, but never showed any signs of ring rust. His grappling was relentless and dominant. Very impressive performance. The question is can he continue to do this moving forward. If he can, he’ll move up significantly in this weight class. Upgraded from C- to C
Tim Means vs. Sergio Moraes
Means: He started slow, but his volume really picked up later in the bout. He out landed Moraes in total strikes by a wide margin, but the Brazilian centric crowd didn’t help matters as Means dropped a close, yet controversial decision. Downgraded from C to C-
Moraes: Despite his clear advantages in the grappling exchanges, Moraes had no problem throwing down with Tim Means for 15 minutes. He couldn’t compete on a volume basis, but he throws punches with real venom and it allowed him to win a split decision. Grade remains C-
Thiago Santos vs. Anthony Smith
Santos: He was a little sloppy in this bout losing his footing on multiple occasions to give his opponent opportunities. However, his striking is still some of the most feared in the division and he eventually got the TKO victory he was looking for. Grade remains C+
Smith: He went toe to toe with one of the best strikers in the division and had his moments. He’s too hittable on the feet to have continued success in the division, but he’s proven he can consistently put on entertaining fights. Grade remains C-
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Marlon Vera
Andrade: A strong performance from the Brazilian. He forced Vera to fight off his back foot for the entire bout. He mixed up his punches and kicks well to win a clear decision. He continues to be one of the most underrated fighters in this division. Upgraded from C to C+
Vera: He was a step slower throughout this bout and didn’t have the fire power to slow down his opponent. Grade remains C
Marcelo Golm vs. Timothy Johnson
Golm: His athleticism and kicking game stood out in this fight, but his lack of experience did as well. He too willingly fought against the cage and didn’t do enough work to get his hand raised. Grade remains D
Johnson: A smart game plan by the American to force his opponent to fight at close range. Johnson was at a striking disadvantage, so he did well to lock up and use his strength to out work his opponent. Johnson’s ceiling is limited, but he’s a solid gatekeeper to the middle of the division. Grade remains D+
Dez Green vs. Michal Prazeres
Green: He just couldn’t mount enough offense to be competitive in this bout. That continues to be his problem in MMA. His grappling is competitive with most fighters, but he can’t hurt opponents on the feet. Grade remains C
Prazeres: If he consistently made weight, he’d be a top 15 fighter in this division. He’s got excellent strength plus power in his hands. He’s shown he can win fights in the UFC, but missing weight will continue to hold him back. Grade remains C+
Priscilla Cachoeira vs. Valentina Schevchenko
Cachoeira: Outside of showing toughness, there was no positives to take from this fight. There was nothing that she could do to stop the onslaught from her opponent. Debut grade is D-
Shevchenko: There is no doubt in my mind that Shevchenko is the best fighter currently in the flyweight division. She mauled her opponent in one of the most dominant performances in the UFC in years. It’s possible that Shevchenko will open the biggest favorite as a challenger in a title fight in UFC history when she faces Nicco Montano. Grade remains A+
Eryk Anders vs. Lyoto Machida
Anders: It took him a little bit of time to figure out the patterns of Machida, but he did well for himself hurting the former champion and dominating stretches of this fight. If this bout was anywhere else, he likely would have gotten his hand raised for this performance. Grade remains C+
Machida: He showed he still has something in the tank. His chin is certainly vulnerable at this time, but his takedown defense is still pretty good and he does well to maintain distance and strike from range. At this point, he’s a gatekeeper to the division’s top ten. Upgraded from C to C+
