MMA Gradebook: Rating Every Fight From UFC Shenzhen
Kevin WilsonAug 31, 2019
Since UFC Shenzhen started at 2 a.m. Central Time and was filled with mostly lesser-known fighters, a lot of fans may have missed this one. Despite the lack of big names there were a lot of great fights on this card, and we stayed up late to rate each and every one of them so you know which fights to watch and which to skip.
Fights are ranked on the scale shown below, based on competitiveness, the skill and technique on display, excitement, and the story and drama of the contest. Wherever possible, the fights are described without spoiling the outcomes. Here's the MMA Gradebook for UFC Fight Night 157: Andrade vs. Zhang
You can’t ask for a better way to kick off a card! Although the crowd wasn’t into it, this ended up being one of the best fights of the night. The women landed a combined 346 strikes which was the most of any fight on the card. The action was close throughout and both women put on a ridiculous pace for all three rounds which earns this fight 3.5 stars.
Back to back wild fights but this one had some better exchanges in the pocket and multiple near finishes and momentum shifts. This was both men’s UFC debut and they defiantly proved worthy of long-term contracts in this fight of the night performance. [4.0]
Dominant performance from the winner but the loser had some moments later in the fight that kept me watching for a flash KO. The most impressive part of this fight was the winner's ability to diversify his strikes across the opponents entire body to keep him guessing. He landed a total of 73 strikes with 28 to the head, 22 to the legs and 21 targeting the body. [2.5]
This fight is the perfect example of a fighter with superior technique struggling with one who fights like it’s a pub brawl, but in the end, technique prevails. The fight started off with wild exchanges in the pocket but in the end it was the winner’s cardio and all-around better skills that won him the fight late. [4.0]
An unfortunate injury early in the fight held this back from being the barnburner it could have been but it was still a fun scrap. Dominant performance from the winner but the loser showed a lot of heart and put on a good performance considering the injury. [2.0]
We cap off the prelims with yet another wild brawl! If you’re a fan of grappling this card is not for you, because so far every single fight has been a high-paced striking match. This fight was no different but it was the winner’s grappling that saved him in this comeback performance. [3.5]
This wasn’t the most action-packed fight but both women had a high output of strikes and decided to stand and trade for most of the fight. The fight was super close and could have gone either way but the winner showed a bit more urgency in the third round, which probably won her the fight. [2.5]
This fight had the potential to be fight of the night but both men gassed late and started to get sloppy. This was still a very fun fight that had the crowd going crazy, but if its technique you're looking for you’ll want to skip this one. [3.0]
Not the most exciting fight but the showcase of technique from the winner in this dominant performance was one of the highlights of the night. The winner completely outclassed the other man for all three round and looked like a future title contender in a flyweight division desperate for new stars. [3.0]
Wild fight from start to finish, just as we expected! I will say both men truly looked better than ever and definitely worked on cleaning up their technique and not fighting as recklessly as in previous outings. This bout lived up to the hype and is my pick for fight of the night. [4.0]
Andrade defends her strawweight title for the first time against China’s own Zhang, who might be the most underrated fighter in the UFC today. You’ve probably seen the highlights by now but if not drop everything and watch this fight right now! Incredible story and dominant performance by the winner earns this a near-perfect rating. [4.5]