Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC on Fox 28 in Orlando, Florida. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com
Manny Bermudez vs. Alex Morales
Bermudez: He needs to really work on his striking, but he is very dangerous on the mat and is capable of finding a finish on the mat in any fight he is in. Grade remains C-
Morales: He had his moments in this fight and was the much better striker. However, he was too willing to go to the mat with Bermudez and it cost him the bout. Grade remains D+
Alex Perez vs. Eric Shelton
Perez: Excellent performance from Perez who controlled this fight from start to finish by securing takedowns and out working his opponent on the feet. He needs to prove he can make weight moving forward. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Shelton: Disappointing performance from Shelton as he struggled to defend takedowns throughout the bout and wasn’t able to land any significant punches on the feet. Downgraded from C- to D+
Russell Doane vs. Rani Yahya
Doane: He struggled mightily in this bout not being able to stuff takedown attempts and eventually succumbing to a north south choke. Doane downgraded from C- to D+
Yahya: Excellent game plan from Yahya as he utilized his takedowns well and dominated Doane on the mat. Grade remains C-
Sam Alvey vs. Marcin Prachnio
Alvey: He moved up in weight for this fight and looked right at home. He landed some beautiful punches that sent his opponent to the canvas to earn a quick and decisive win. Debut grade at light heavyweight is D+
Prachnio: Disappointing result for the newcomer. He left himself wide open to get hit with poor striking defense and was finished by a very good counterstriker. Debut grade is D
Alan Jouban vs. Ben Saunders
Jouban: He was the far superior striker in this bout as he easily out landed his opponent. He did take some damage of his own, but it was his combination work that was the difference in this bout as he knocked out Ben Saunders. Grade remains C-
Saunders: Ben Saunders fought an entertaining bout, however his striking defense let him down as he took way too much damage and his body eventually gave out against the better striker. Grade remains D+
Angela Hill vs. Maryna Moroz
Hill: A solid performance from Hill as she did well to counter the volume throwing Moroz. Hill’s proven she’s one of the 15 best fighters in the strawweight division. Grade remains C
Moroz: She may throw a lot of punches, but her inability to land with any regularity is a problem that will be difficult to overcome long term in the UFC. Downgraded from C to C-
Sara McMann vs. Marion Reneau
McMann: When she’s able to get opponents to the mat, she’s very good. When forced into prolonged striking exchanges, she struggles mightily. With her skill set, it makes for some uneven performances. Downgraded from B- to C+
Reneau: After a difficult round one, she came back strong in the second landing strikes on the feet and eventually earning the submission on the mat. A great result for Reneau. Grade remains C+
Renan Barao vs. Brian Kelleher
Barao: His gas tank held better than in previous fights, but he just couldn’t land the one key shot to hurt his opponent and change the trajectory of the fight. Downgraded from C+ to C
Kelleher: An excellent performance from Kelleher against the former champion. He made Barao work and his pressure, volume striking game took its toll over three rounds to give him the victory. Kelleher has proven he’s an above average bantamweight, but will need to show he can do the same against top fighters before he enters the division’s top 15. Upgraded from C to C+
Max Griffin vs. Mike Perry
Griffin: His best performance inside the Octagon. He did well to avoid Perry’s huge right hand and land big shots of his own to earn a well-deserved decision. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Perry: I rather surprising result for Perry who by many accounts was booked in this bout to showcase him in front of the partisan crowd. He struggled with the size and movement of his opponent struggling with the counterstriking skills of his opponent. Downgraded from C to C-
Ilir Latifi vs. Ovince St. Preux
Latifi: This was easily the biggest win of the Swedish light heavyweight’s career. He dropped St. Preux, swarmed him, and then latched in a guillotine choke that St. Preux had no way out of. With the victory, Latifi is likely just one fight away from a title opportunity. Upgraded from C to B-
St. Preux: The up and down nature of St. Preux’s career continued as he was stunned in this bout and finished in the opening round. At this point, it’s hard to imagine St. Preux finding a way back to title contention. Downgraded from B- to C+
Jessica Andrade vs. Tecia Torres
Andrade: She had her struggles early on finding a way inside against Torres, but her constant pressure eventually wore Torres down. The separation in this fight was the strength Andrade hd to muscle Torres to the mat. A huge win in an important fight for Andrade setting her up for another crack at the championship later this year. Grade remains A
Torres: The Tiny Tornado really came out to fight in this bout giving Andrade a tough, competitive bout. Torres was impressive in the loss showing she’s more than capable of exchanging strikes with the buzzsaw that is Jessica Andrade. Upgraded from B+ to A-
Josh Emmett vs. Jeremy Stephens
Emmett: He started out really well out landing Stephens even dropping him to the mat in the first round. However, what was critical in this fight was durability. While Emmett had advantages in some areas, could he keep it up for 25 minutes? The answer turned out to be no as he was floored and ultimately finished in the second round. Emmett showed he can be competitive with Stephens, the difference between good and great fighters is overcoming adversity. Upgraded from C+ to B-
Stephens: He’s becoming one of the most reliable fighters in the division. He’s aggressive, fun to watch, and now he’s starting to rattle off victories with regularity. While Stephens has made a name for himself beating fringe top ten opponents, he will need to beat a division elite to earn himself a chance at the title. Upgraded from B to B+
