Welcome to the first edition of our UFC post-fight report cards, where I will be breaking down the fights and awarding each fighter a letter grade for their performances.
This week at UFC Vegas 22, we had a 10-fight card after some cancellations, but it nonetheless showed through in a fun event with seven KOs.
Before we get into the breakdown, let’s go through the grading criteria. There are four major factors for me, coming down to finishes, domination, level of opponent, and fight IQ, giving us some insight into how they will perform going forward.
With that said, let’s get right into it, from top to bottom!
| Derek Brunson def. Kevin Holland by Decision | (49-45, 49-46 x2) |
| Derek Brunson – B | Kevin Holland – C- |
| Max Griffin def. Kenan Song by Knockout | (2:20 of Round 1) |
| Max Griffin – A+ | Kenan Song – F |
| Montserrat Conejo def. Cheyanne Buys by Decision | (29-27, 29-28 x2) |
| Monserrat Conejo – B | Cheyanne Buys – D |
| Adrian Yanez def. Gustavo Lopez by Knockout | (0:27 of Round 3) |
| Adrian Yanez – B+ | Gustavo Lopez – D |
| Tai Tuivasa def. Harry Hunsucker by Knockout | (0:49 of Round 1) |
| Tai Tuivasa – A+ | Harry Hunsucker – F |
| Macy Chiasson def. Marion Reneau by Decision | (29-28 x3) |
| Macy Chiasson – B | Marion Reneau – C- |
| Grant Dawson def. Leonardo Santos by Knockout | (4:59 of Round 3) |
| Grant Dawson – B+ | Leonardo Santos – C |
| Trevin Giles def. Roman Dolidze by Decision | (29-28 x3) |
| Trevin Giles – C+ | Roman Dolidze – C- |
| Montel Jackson def. Jesse Strader by Knockout | (1:58 of Round 1) |
| Montel Jackson – A | Jesse Strader – F |
| Bruno Silva def. JP Buys by Knockout | (2:56 of Round 2) |
| Bruno Silva – B+ | JP Buys – D |
Before I let you all go, there are a few fighters I would like to highlight from this card.
Firstly, Derek Brunson proved he is much more than a gatekeeper after four straight wins over opponents coming off pretty hefty win streaks, dominating Holland from top control. Kevin Holland still gave a good representation of himself in his first main event showing, taking Brunson down for the first time in his Octagon tenure and clipping him with solid shots.
While it goes without saying that any first round knockout bodes well for a fighter’s career going forward, this was a much-needed finish for Max Griffin, who now finds himself on his first UFC win streak. He has shown considerable evolution in his time in the Octagon, and the furious KO over Song will only extend that.
Finally, Grant Dawson was given a tough test in Santos, who had not dropped a UFC contest prior to this bout. With some uncertainty on the scorecards, Dawson showed he can finish the fight when it counts, with his first KO finish in the UFC. On top of this, his striking was improved and he had little trouble closing the distance in his new weight class. He is certainly one to keep an eye on.
Next week, we have March’s second PPV card on deck, with the Heavyweight title in the balance as Stipe Miocic rematches Francis Ngannou. Though the card took a hit earlier today, this will be a great event.
Until next time, Freaks.
Categories: UFC Reviews
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