Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC Fight Night 136 in Moscow, Russia. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Terrion Ware
Dvalishvili: As dominant a decision as a fighter can have in the UFC. His pace and offensive wrestling game is very good and he can secure rounds with ease once on the ground. He’s a fighter many will look to avoid in the Octagon. Upgraded from C- to C
Ware: This was just a terrible matchup for him. He couldn’t stuff the takedowns and became tentative on the feet once he realized he couldn’t’ stop the takedown attempts. Downgraded from C- to D+
Ramazan Emeev vs. Stefan Sekulic
Emeev: He had a chance in the first round to finish, but was unable to do so. Despite not getting the finish, he dominated the remaining two rounds to win by decision. He’s technically sound and fights with calculation. He’s got a good future ahead in the UFC. Grade remains C+
Sekulic: He surprisingly secured a takedown, albeit briefly, in round two but besides that moment he was the second best fighter in the cage. He showed some toughness in round one to avoid being finished. Debut grade is D+
Jordan Johnson vs. Adam Yandiev
Johnson: He dropped down to middleweight and looked better than ever. His wrestling will be a problem for nearly everyone in the division. Debut grade at middleweight is C+
Yandiev: He struggled in his return to the sport and UFC debut. This was a difficult matchup for him, but I expect him to look better if he returns to the sport full time. Debut grade is D
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Marcin Prachnio
Ankalaev: After a poor ending to his UFC debut, Magomed Ankalaev showed his potential in a dominant victory over Marcin Prachnio. Ankalaev has vicious kicks and made his opponent pay in this bout. He’s a very good prospect that is now poised for a step up in competition. Upgraded from C- to C
Prachnio: He was out classed in this bout and was put away early. Not much else to say, but would like to see him against a lower tier opponent next time out to see if he has what it takes to stick in the UFC. Grade remains D
Des Green vs. Mairbek Taisumov
Green: He did better than most people thought in this bout as he had some success on the feet against the highly rated Taisumov. Unfortunately for Green, he just couldn’t land with consistency as his output wasn’t good enough to get his hand raised. Grade remains C-
Taisumov: Not a good performance from Taisumov as this fight was a lot closer than it should have been. Taisumov’s inability to fight consistently makes me believe ring rust was a factor in this bout. Downgraded from B to B-
Kajan Johnson vs. Rustam Khabilov
Johnson: He went into enemy territory and fought a very competitive fight against an accomplished veteran. When the fight went to the scorecards, the result could have went either way. Upgraded from C- to C
Khabilov: He had some success on the feet and on the ground, but he got frustrated for large portions of this fight and lost his focus. This fight was much closer than it should have been. Grade remains C+
Jin Soo Son vs. Petr Yan
Son: This was a real positive debut for the South Korean fighter. Tasked with fighting an excellent opponent, Son was willing to be on the front foot and attempt to take it to the Russian fighter. Despite the defeat, the stock rose for Son. Debut grade is C-
Yan: He threw the kitchen sink at his opponent, but just couldn’t finish him. He clearly won a decision to continue his winning ways in the UFC. It won’t be long before this fighter is in the UFC’s top 15 bantamweights. Grade remains B-
CB Dollaway vs. Khalid Murtazaliev
Dollaway: He did well in the first few minutes of the bout, but one he took a clean body shot it was the beginning of the end. Dollaway is on a major decline and there isn’t much left in his tank. Downgraded from C- to D
Murtazaliev: It took him a few minutes to get into the fight, but once he picked up the pace his opponent was no match for him. Good debut win for Murtazaliev. Debut grade is D+
Thiago Alves vs. Alexey Kunchenko
Alves: He had some moments offensively in this fight with leg kicks, however he just didn’t have power and variety that his opponent did. He’s still good enough to be a gatekeeper to the mid tier fighters in this division. Grade remains D+
Kunchenko: I was looking for a more dominant win, but his experience, composure, and striking variety was nice to see. He’ll fare well in the UFC. Debut grade is C
Andrei Arlovski vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov
Arlovski: He got frustrated in this bout at his inability to land anything of significance and dropped a decision. At 39 years old, Arlovski is closing in on the end of a very good career. Downgraded from C- to D+
Abdurakhimov: While he didn’t do much in this fight, he did a little more than his opponent. He wants a rematch with Derrick Lewis, but I don’t see that happening. Grade remains D+
Jan Blachowicz vs. Nikita Krylov
Blachowicz: He’s riding his best form of his UFC stint now with four straight victories. He made Krylov look pedestrian in the submission victory. Upgraded from C to B-
Krylov: While he is good offensively, he really struggles with the defensive aspects of MMA. He showed once again that opponents can manhandle him as Blachowicz did in this fight. Downgraded from C to C-
Mark Hunt vs. Oleksiy Oliynyk
Hunt: On the feet, Hunt looked like his usual self as he his opponent limping in just minutes. However, once taken down it was a whole other fight as he was submitted by the talented grappler. Downgraded from C+ to C
Oliynyk: Tasked against a fighter where he would have a real disadvantage on the feet, the Russian fighter was smart to get the bout to the mat and submit his opponent for his biggest win in the UFC. This is a win that should push Oliynyk towards the top five of the division. Upgraded from C- to C
