Rookie Report Card: Grading all Octagon newcomers UFC 316 post-mortem

You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!

Four rookies debuted in “The Garden State” last night (Sat., June 7, 2025) at UFC 316 inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and the UFC newbies went 2-2, with one of them boasting a sick highlight-reel knockout.

It was filthy.

Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below:

Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC

Joo-sang Yoo

Joo-sang Yoo (9-0) made an unforgettable UFC debut, face-planting Jeka Saragih in a mere 28 seconds with a perfectly timed step-back counter left hook (watch it).

Yoo’s lightning-fast victory was even more remarkable given Saragih’s knockout power and the fact that he didn’t fear it at all. Instead of leaning on his stellar grappling, Yoo hunted for the finish and delivered, even opening the fight with a spinning heel kick.

With a bout this brief, there’s little to dissect beyond one takeaway: Joo-sang Yoo is a name to watch.

He also paid homage to his mentor, Chan Sung Jung (a.k.a. The Korean Zombie), by using Zombie’s iconic walkout song. After this brutal knockout, Yoo’s earned the right to keep it.

Final Grade: A+

Patchy Mix

If you’ve read any Patchy Mix stories in the past few years, they were likely mine. I firmly believed he was among the world’s top bantamweights, if not the best, but he lacked the recognition he deserved outside the UFC.

Mix (20-2) finally made his long-awaited UFC debut, only to be outclassed by Mario Bautista via unanimous decision. The former Bellator bantamweight champion looked off.

Was it UFC nerves? Did he underestimate Bautista? Is Bautista simply that skilled?

It’s a mix of all three, compounded by Mix’s puzzling decision to avoid grappling—his strongest suit. Instead, he opted to kickbox with Bautista, a choice that backfired badly. He appeared stiff, with no head movement to speak of.

True, he landed a few solid shots on Bautista, but none threatened a finish.

It was a perplexing performance and a major setback for his reputation. There is also an argument that it was the worst debut for a major contender.

Still, many fighters (including Merab) have dropped their UFC debuts only to rebound strongly.

Final Grade: D-

Andreas Gustafsson

Andreas Gustafsson channeled his inner Viking and beat Khaos Williams via unanimous decision.

It was not fun to watch because it basically took place against the cage for the majority of the fight, but nonetheless, Gustafsson thoroughly dominated “The Ox Fighter.”

The Swedish fighter charged Williams from the opening bell, pinning him against the fence within seconds. Whenever Williams managed to escape the clinch, Gustafsson unleashed his notorious untechnical striking, throwing wild hooks that, surprisingly, found their mark.

Gustafsson’s recklessness is no secret, but it’s a deliberate part of his strategy.

As he put it himself:

It will be fascinating to see how he fares when his cage-clinching tactics falter, but for now, Gustafsson remains relentlessly aggressive.

Final Grade: B+

Mark Choinski

Mark Choinski (8-1) opened UFC 316 against MarQuel Mederos and lost by unanimous decision, surrendering his undefeated record.

Taking the fight on short notice, Choinski wasn’t a signing I favored, as I don’t rate him highly as a prospect. Still, his UFC debut proved one thing: he’s incredibly tough.

The fight’s narrative centered on “The Shark” enduring a barrage of calf kicks from Mederos. By the third round, he could barely stand, yet he survived—a display of grit or perhaps Mederos’ lack of killer instinct.

Choinski highlighted his solid wrestling and attempted a couple submissions, but Mederos otherwise dominated with crisp striking.

How long will Choinski survive in the stacked Lightweight division? Time will tell.