Jay Primetown gives his thoughts on each of the fighters who competed at UFC 246 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jay gives his letter grades for each fighter on TheMMA-Analysis podcast which can be found on MMAOddsbreaker.com
JJ Aldrich vs. Sabina Mazo
Aldrich: She found success at boxing range, but struggled badly in the clinch. She slowed down in the third round and ultimately cost her a close, competitive fight. Downgraded from C to C-
Mazo: The Colombian born fighter is one of the youngest fighters in the UFC and showed she excels in the clinch. This was a close fight, but she did more damage especially late in the bout for a solid win over a veteran fighter. She’s one to watch as she gains more experience. Upgraded from D to C-
Aleksa Camur vs. Justin Ledet
Camur: He came out fast in this fight and did well to still have decent output even when he was tiring in the third round. He showed variety with stand up, clinch, and work against the cage. For an inexperienced fighter, this was a good fight to show his skills without being pushed too hard. Debut grade is D+
Ledet: He continues to show he’s a boxer and not a MMA fighter. He lacks the all-around skill set to be much of a challenge in the UFC. Grade remains C-
Drew Dober vs. Nasrat Haqparast
Dober: A tremendous victory by the American lightweight. He clipped Haqparast with a huge left hand and finished him on the mat. Dober is on the cusp of the top fifteen of the lightweight divison. Upgraded from C- to C+
Haqparast: He typically takes a couple minutes to settle into a fight, but he never got that chance in this bout as a left hand sent him to the canvas. A tough loss for the German based fighter as it really stunts his momentum up the lightweight division. Grade remains C
Askar Askarov vs. Tim Elliott
Askarov: He impressed with his striking skill set. He’s dangerous in combination and very good at boxing range. He did well to land as the aggressor and on his back foot. I think he will continue to move up the flyweight division. Upgraded from C+ to B-
Elliott: He’s got a great gas tank and a decent wrestling game, but he takes too many punches and just doesn’t do enough on the feet to force his opponents into mistakes. We’ve seen the best of Elliott and at the current stage of his career, he’s a gatekeeper to the top 15. Downgraded from C+ to C
Andre Fili vs. Sodiq Yusuff
Fili: He had some success early with securing takedowns, but he struggled to keep Yusuff on the mat. On the feet, he has a pretty good jab, but he didn’t have the power to keep Yusuff at bay. He was competitive in this bout, but clearly a level below his opponent. Upgraded from C+ to B-
Yusuff: This was a great matchup for the surging Lloyd Irvin product at this point in his career. He showed he can get back to his feet when taken down and an ability to out strike a rangier opponent. It’s only a matter of time before Yusuff is in the top ten of the featherweight division. Upgraded from C+ to B
Maycee Barber vs. Roxanne Modafferi
Barber: This was a rude awakening for the youngest female fighter in the UFC. She struggled in the boxing and once she hurt her knee, she was dominated for the remainder of the fight. Barber will need time to recuperate and how she handles her first loss will determine just how career moves forward. Downgraded from B- to C
Modafferi: No one gave her a chance in this fight, but she came out strong in the opening round securing a takedown and top control. After that she took advantage of an injured Barber to win all three rounds and end one of the biggest hype trains in MMA. Upgraded from C- to C
Carlos Diego Ferreira vs. Anthony Pettis
Ferreira: He’s a crafty veteran that once he got Anthony Pettis to the mat, he was able to dominate the fight. Getting the submission is a big feather in the Brazilian’s cap. Grade remains B-
Pettis: When he’s not tasked to fight a pure rangy striker, he struggles. He simply cannot handle dynamic grappler. Pettis has had a great career, but at this point he should just focus on exciting fights. Downgraded from B- to C+
Brian Kelleher vs. Ode Osbourne
Kelleher: He’s a crafty veteran with an excellent guillotine choke. Having lost two fights in a row, he needed this fight to stay in the UFC and he did it. Upgraded from D+ to C-
Osbourne: He’s quick and moves well in the Octagon, but will need to improve his grappling if he’s going to have a long career in the UFC. In this fight, he appeared out of his depth. Debut grade is D
Maurice Greene vs. Aleksei Oleinik
Greene: He looked very comfortable on the feet, but just couldn’t keep the fight standing. Oleinik was tired and Greene realized after being submitting he let a good opportunity slip away. Grade remains D
Oleinik: He’s a proven finisher and found a way to get the job done despite being extremely fatigued. At 42 years of age, the fact that he’s still able to finish opponents in the UFC is pretty incredible. Grade remains D+
Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington
Holm: She didn’t show much of her striking prowess in this fight, but instead surprised Pennington with a grinding style forcing her against the cage. Holm’s strength in that position controlled the bout and thus got her the result. Grade remains A-
Pennington: She prepared for this fight as if it would be the same as their first bout. She wasn’t prepared for a clinch battle. Her position against the cage was reversed every time. She couldn’t get anything going when at range. This was a lackluster performance from Pennington who appeared lost in this bout. Grade remains C
Donald Cerrone vs. Conor McGregor
Cerrone: As great as a fighter that Donald Cerrone is, he has struggled in the truly big fights in his career. In this bout, he was never in the fight. He took a knee early and never recovered. He’ll certainly be back and continue to put on exciting fights, but this was not a good night for him. Downgraded from B- to C+
McGregor: He returned from over a year absence and showed no signs of rust. He was spectacular landing punches, a knee, and a flush head kick to put Cerrone away in under a minute. A Masvidal fight is what I would like to see next. An action fight against someone who is comfortable in the spotlight. Debut grade at welterweight is A
