Yawn. The Super Hornet is an A-7 that has self-defense capability. Kinematically the Su-35 outclasses it in every metric. This is not news as it was being shouted from the rooftops since at least 2014.
The EPE and conformal fuel upgrades would help close the gap, but the Super is not a Tier 1 Air Superiority platform and never has been. It can be competitive, but it is overmatched.