Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For three athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 5 event marked that special moment in their career.
Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression those fighters made on the sport’s biggest stage from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
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Miranda Granger and Hannah Goldy
Division: Women’s flyweight
Result: Miranda Granger def. Hannah Goldy via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Record: Miranda Granger (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: B
Record: Hannah Goldy (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: C
To be fair, there were a lot of variables in this contest that make issuing grades a bit unfair. After all, the bout was put together on just two weeks’ notice, and the pair agreed to fight up a weight class due to the late booking. That said, both women had expressed their desire to be in the UFC, and when the industry leader comes calling, you must be ready.
The size difference between the two was noticeable, particularly in terms of reach. Granger enjoyed a massive advantage there, and she did her best to use it to her advantage. A finisher during her time on the regional stage, Granger fought much more patiently here, likely a nod not only to her respect for her opponent’s power but also as a way to ensure she could fight for 15 minutes if needed – and it was.
Meanwhile, Goldy showed real power with her strikes, and her creative kicking game earned a highlight or two, but her overall volume was lacking. In truth, it was very reminiscent of her June appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, where she was just a little too content to move on the outside and seemed to lack a killer instinct.
Both women probably deserve the benefit of the doubt before a real evaluation of their total upside. Having been cageside for Granger’s final pre-UFC fight, I’ve seen a different side of her game, and I think there is massive potential, something she should be able to show with a bit of a training camp and a chance to fight in her natural weight class.
Meanwhile, after watching Goldy fight twice in a little more than six weeks, I must say that I echo Dan Tom’s sentiments after her Contender Series fight that she “has a palpable athletic and skills ceiling that perhaps could use some more sharpening.” She’ll have to do it at the sport’s highest level if she hopes to stick around, especially in the UFC’s very deep strawweight division.
Cole Williams
Division: Welterweight
Result: Claudio Silva def. Cole Williams via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:35
Record: Cole Williams (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: F
Truthfully, Williams was going to struggle to earn a good grade regardless of how he performed on Saturday. Missing weight by five pounds tends to do that to you. And, of course, UFC matchmakers didn’t do Williams any favors, pairing him with a fighter in Silva that is criminally underrated right now. But when you’re a late-notice replacement, you don’t always find yourself in the best of situations.
That said, Williams did himself no favors in the cage, either.
Understandably tentative to start, Williams appeared to be a bit overwhelmed by Silva’s quick and powerful strikes on the feet. However, he also didn’t do himself any favors by keeping his hands down. After having some success on the feet, Silva elected to shoot inside, scoring a takedown with a crafty trip and advancing quickly to the back.
Once on the floor, Williams did his best to prevent any advances of position, but he certainly didn’t show the type of urgency to remove Silva from his back that you would hope to see when put in a bad position. Silva eventually punched his opponent enough that it created space to sink in a rear-naked choke that seemed nearly as much of a neck crank as it was a true blood choke, forcing Williams to tap and ending a rather forgettable night.
Williams will want to put this one behind him and come back with a clean slate for his second go.
