Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC 230 in New York City. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Adam Wieczorek
De Lima: He landed some good leg kicks on the feet, but ultimately it was his takedowns that were the difference. He took advantage of an out of shape opponent to get a decision win. Grade remains D
Wieczorek: This was a poor performance in which he out worked by a fighter who generally only has one round of cardio. Grade remains D-
Shane Burgos vs. Kurt Holobaugh
Burgos: His offensive striking continues to look good, but he takes too many punches and it nearly cost him as he was dropped in the first round. He showed a new wrinkle to his game earning the submission and is certainly one of the most entertaining fighters in the division. Grade remains C
Holobaugh: His striking was crisp early and he had Burgos in trouble, but he went in too aggressively on the mat and it cost him as he was forced into submission. Grade remains C-
Matt Frevola vs. Lando Vannata
Frevola: He took a good amount of damage and was out classed at points, but he returned fire well and had a strong third round to fight his way to a draw. Frevola showed a lot of positives in this bout and proved he’s got staying power in the UFC. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Vannata: He’s a skilled offensive striker, but struggles at times defensively and makes fights more competitive than they should be. He’s a very entertaining fighter to watch, but defensive holes need to improve for him to move up the ladder. Downgraded from C to C-
Lyman Good vs. Ben Saunders
Good: It didn’t take long, but once he was able to land flush on Saunders chin the fight ended. Another win for Good who continues to show he’s a solid, durable veteran. Grade remains C-
Saunders: He has continued a decline as he’s aged and his chin hasn’t held up. This is likely Saunders last fight in the UFC. Downgraded from D to D-
Julio Arce vs. Sheymon Moraes
Arce: He struggled with the size and power advantage of his opponent. Despite losing a lot of blood, he was the better fighter in the third round and nearly snuck out a decision. Downgraded from C+ to C
Moraes: He came out firing early in this fight and nearly got a first round finish. He did a nice job landing elbows cutting Arce wide open. He’s a big featherweight and slows down in bouts, but at this best he’s a good fighter. Upgraded from C to C+
Sijara Eubanks vs. Roxanne Modafferi
Eubanks: She was the better striker and grappler throughout this fight. Outside of a couple minutes where she gave up position on the mat, Eubanks was the far superior fighter and was able to win by decision. Upgraded from B- to B
Modafferi: She struggles against physically strong opponents and Eubanks is one of the best in this weight class. Modafferi has exceeded expectations in her run in the UFC, so a regression is expected. Grade remains C
Jason Knight vs. Jordan Rinaldi
Knight: After winning four of his first five fights in the UFC, Knight has regressed significantly, losing four in a row. He wasn’t competitive against Rinaldi as he was unable to defend the takedown. He’s in danger of being cut from the promotion. Downgraded from C- to D+
Rinaldi: He dominated this fight from beginning to end having the back of his opponent for close to half the fight. Good win for Rinaldi who looks good in a new weight class. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Israel Adesanya vs. Derek Brunson
Adesanya: His takedown defense continues to improve and combined with his elite striking acumen he’s the fastest rising fighter in the middleweight division. A finish of a top ten opponent in Brunson propels Adesanya into potential fights with top five middleweights. Upgraded from B to B+
Brunson: His durability on the feet has been his achiliies heel throughout his career and it struck again in this bout as he was finished in the first round by Israel Adesanya. Downgraded from B to B-
Jack Marshman vs. Karl Roberson
Marshman: A bad matchup for Marshman tasked with fighting an opponent that is more athletic and powerful than he is. Grade remains D
Roberson: I would have liked to see a finish, but he dominated this fight from start to finish. We won’t learn much about Roberson until he’s tasked with fighting better competition. Upgraded from D+ to C-
David Branch vs. Jared Cannonier
Branch: This is a brutal loss for the former World Series of Fighting Champion. He was tasked with fighting a journeyman dropping down in weight and was knocked out in the second round. This loss takes Branch out of any potential title contention. Downgraded from B to C+
Cannonier: A huge win for the Alaska native. He dropped down to middleweight and got a big finish over a ranked opponent. I’m still not convinced he can compete with the top five in this division, but it’s possible he’ll have a chance to find out. Debut grade at middleweight is B-
Ronaldo Souza vs. Chris Weidman
Souza: He was down two rounds to zero on two of the scorecards and needed a finish to get the victory. Jacare was able to do that knocking out Chris Weidman halfway through the third round for arguably the biggest win of his career and puts him as the top contender for the middleweight title. Grade remains A-
Weidman: He did well offensively in this bout landing his jab and really peppering Jacare with punches. His problem has become durability. He’s taken way too much damage over the course of his career and has struggled to finish fights when he’s been up on the scorecards. This fight was his last chance to get back into title contention. With the loss, I expect further regression from him. Downgraded from A to A-
Daniel Cormier vs. Derrick Lewis
Cormier: He didn’t come into this fight in the best shape, but he had a game plan and was able to execute taking Derrick Lewis to the mat at will leading to a second-round submission. Brock Lesnar is next, but more importantly will he take on Jon Jones one more time before he retires? Grade remains A++
Lewis: He came into this fight in the best shape he has been in since joining the UFC, but it wasn’t enough as he was outclassed by a superior fighter. Grade remains B
