Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC 228 in Dallas, Texas. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
Jarred Brooks vs. Roberto Sanchez
Brooks: Started off poorly, but was able to implement a grappling heavy game plan in the final two rounds to win by decision. This fight was closer than it should have been. Grade remains C
Sanchez: He did well to start the bout, but his inability to get back to his feet when take to the mat was his undoing. Grade remains C-
Irene Aldana vs. Lucie Pudilova
Aldana: Her composure was key in this fight as she landed the cleaner punches in a closely fought contest. This was an important fight for Aldana as she had dropped two of her last three bouts. Grade remains C-
Pudilova: Her size and furiousness on the feet are good traits, but she lacks the technical acumen to beat the better opponents in this division in a pure striking matchup. Grade remains C-
Jim Miller vs. Alex White
Miller: His best performance in years as he dropped White and then submitted him in the opening round. The New Jersey native looks to be rejuvenated post ridding of Lyme’s Disease. Upgraded from D+ to C-
White: This was a rare disappointing fight from Alex White. I think it’s more of a case of being caught on the feet than a regression in skill set. Grade remains C-
Diego Sanchez vs. Craig White
Sanchez: While he looked vulnerable on the feet, Sanchez’s relentless cardio was more than enough to get Craig White to the mat and hold him there. A dominant win for Sanchez. Upgraded from F to D
White: He looked like a novice on the ground with no ability to get back to his feet. It’s tough to see how he’ll be able to stick in the UFC with little ground game. Downgraded from D- to F
Charles Byrd vs. Darren Stewart
Byrd: He was doing well in this fight until he wasn’t anymore. Tough loss for Byrd looking to kick start a winning streak in the UFC. Grade remains D+
Stewart: A solid comeback victory for the Englishman who is starting to make a name in the middleweight division for putting on exciting fights. Upgraded from D to D+
Frank Camacho vs. Geoff Neal
Camacho: He’s a pitbull and a lot of fun to watch, but the reality is he doesn’t have the technical acumen to beat high level strikers like the one he faced on Saturday. He took a lot of punishment in defeat. Grade remains D+
Neal: A beautiful performance from the American striker as he really had one of the standout fights of the night as his striking arsenal was on full display in the knockout victory. Upgraded from D+ to C
Cody Stamann vs. Aljamain Sterling
Stamann: In a rather physical contest, his wrestling just wasn’t as good as his opponent. On the mat, it was a clear mismatch against a very good grappler. Stamann could be sidelined for a long period of time with an apparent knee injury suffered during the submission. Downgraded from B to B-
Sterling: This was an important fight for the New Yorker and he came through with flying colors beating a very tough opponent with a decisive victory to ensure his position in the division’s top ten. Upgraded from B to B+
Carla Esparza vs. Tatiana Suarez
Esparza: This fight was never close as she was rag dolled by her opponent and finished in the third round. Downgraded from B- to C+
Suarez: This was Suarez signature win to really push her up the rankings. She dominated a fight against the former champion which catapults her up the rankings and into title contention. Upgraded from B to A-
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Niko Price
Alhassan: He was in a fire fight with his opponent, but was able to come through and land the early knockout. He’s now 4-1 in the UFC with four knockouts. Not too shabby. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Price: He likes to put on exciting fights, but this time ended up on the losing end as he was knocked out in the first round. This is only his second loss in seven UFC fights, but it does seem that his potential is limited. Grade remains C-
John Dodson vs. Jimmie Rivera
Dodson: While skill for skill, he’s right there with Jimmie Rivera if not better, it’s his lack of volume that continues to be a problem. It cost him in this fight as he wasn’t able to keep up with Rivera’s output. Grade remains B+
Rivera: It wasn’t a great performance, but he did enough to beat quality opposition and get his hand raised. Grade remains B+
Brandon Davis vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov
Davis: This was a brutal matchup when it was booked, so it was no surprise to see him lose in a one sided fight. Grade remains D+
Magomedsharipov: He has now run off four straight wins to start his UFC career and is a sure fire contender for the featherweight title. It’d be good to see him against a top 10 opponent, but fighters continue to avoid him at all cost. Upgraded from B+ to A-
Jessica Andrade vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Andrade: She’s had a lot of good victories, but knocking out a very good striker on the feet makes her the clear number one contender for the championship. Upgraded from A to A+
Kowalkiewicz: She’s a good fighter, but she’s now been exposed by strong grapplers and power strikers. She doesn’t have a differentiator to compete with the top fighters and it has now shown. Downgraded from B+ to B
Darren Till vs. Tyron Woodley
Till: It was a struggle for him to again make weight, but even so it was a disappointing performance as he was dropped by the champion and then offered nothing on the mat as he was submitted in the second round. Downgraded from A- to B+
Woodley: It was a different type of challenge for Tyron Woodley, but he passed it with flying colors as he got his hands going in this fight and secured a rare submission win. Colby Covington should be next for him. Grade remains A+
