Veterans T.J. Grant and Carlo Prater, both former welterweights, collided in the UFC lightweight division on Fuel undercard. Both fighters entered the contest after wins in their previous bouts, Prater over Erick Silva and Grant over Shane Roller.
Here’s what we learned from the bout.
What we’ll remember about this fight:
Grant’s pressure. Prater simply had no answer for the pace of the bout. Grant mixed in multiple takedowns to compliment his strong striking performance and nearly finished off Prater in the final round.
What we learned about Grant:
The Canadian has found a home at lightweight. Despite his ground prowess, his striking has become much more fluid and he looks comfortable on the feet.
What we learned about Prater:
He’s not ready to contend in the UFC. The Brazilian entered the fight on a five-fight winning streak, but Grant’s pressure forced him to wilt.
What’s next for Grant:
A fight with another Brazilian, Rafael Dos Anjos. With both fighters picking up wins at this event, it’s a logical fight for both.
What’s next for Prater:
The BJJ black belt is in a tough spot. He’s had a ton of fights, but has struggled with consistency. Matching him against another veteran in John Alessio would be a good way to determine who should remain employed by the promotion.
Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.
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