MMA Gradebook: Rating Every Fight From UFC 241

If you’re like us and watch an absurd amount of mixed martial arts each week, you probably wish there were some sort of rating system so you’re not forced to sit through a boring fight waiting for something to happen. In order to help, we rate the fights on major cards for your convenience. If you happen to miss an event, check back here for ratings so you can pick and choose which bouts 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 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2.

Derek Brunson vs. Ian Heinisch

We kick off the main card with No. 8 ranked middleweight Brunson taking on Heinisch, who hasn’t lost a fight since 2017. After a very average prelims, the action finally starts to pick up on the main card. Brunson and Heinisch decided to stand and trade for three rounds and gave us a very close and action-packed fight. The winner looked much improved from his last few performances and hopefully earned himself a top-5 opponent next. [3.0]

Gabriel Benitez vs. Sodiq Yusuff

Next up we have Team Lloyd Irvin prospect Yusuff taking on American Kickboxing Academy’s Benitez in a featherweight bout. This was a sleeper fight of the night contender going into the card and both men didn’t disappoint. After a night filled with decisions, we desperately needed some finishes on the main card and this ended up being one of the best of the night. [3.5]

Yoel Romero vs. Paulo Henrique Costa

Former title challenger Romero takes on undefeated young prospect Costa in a fight that has been a year in the making. I wasn’t sure how this fight would play out going into it but we ended up getting an all-time classic bout between two of the best fighters in the division. Many disagreed with the decision but it could have gone either way and at the end of the night, both men came out of this looking better than ever. [4.5]

Anthony Pettis vs. Nate Diaz

The younger Diaz returns to the Octagon for the first time in three years to take on former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. To many fans, this is the biggest fight of the night and thankfully both men put on a show. This was exactly what I wanted to see out of this fight. Most of the action was on the feet but the grappling exchanges between these two were truly amazing and made me wish this was a five-round bout. [4.0]

Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic

Heavyweight champion Cormier and former champion Miocic look to put an end to their feud in this long-awaited rematch. After a very long day of fights, we were treated to three of the best fights of the year topped off with, in my opinion, the greatest heavyweight title fight of all time. The story that was developing in the cage reminded me of a professional wrestling match and the comeback finish will be talked about for years to come. This fight was exactly what MMA is all about and earns only the third 5-star rating of the year. [5.0]