MMA UFC 133: 7 Questions About the Fights

Mark PareJun 7, 2018

The Light Heavyweight division has been a guessing game when it comes to UFC 133.

First, you had a title match with Rashad Evans challenging Jon Jones. Then Jones had to pull out for surgery. Jones then realized he didn't need the surgery but by the time he came to this realization, Jones' spot on this card was filled by Phil Davis.

Davis got injured and Tito Ortiz was asked to fill in. He declined and Lyoto Machida was asked to fill in. Machida asked for a higher pay, Dana White declined and the fight was off. While all this was going on, Ortiz reconsidered and we now have Evans vs. Ortiz as the main event.

With that carousel figured out, we can now look forward to an event that could shape the UFC's title picture for a little while.

Here are seven questions we are asking going into UFC 133.

How Will Dennis Hallman vs. Brian Ebersole Play Out?

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These are one of those fights that don't exactly have title implications but it is intriguing to say the least.

Both Hallman and Ebersole are veterans in MMA; a combined 127 professional fights between them (65 for Hallman, 62 for Ebersole) so with their veteran experience, we could see a clinic.

Hallman is coming off his first round knockout victory over Karo Parisyan at UFC 123 and is on a two fight win streak. He is known for his ground game and can be quite deadly if he gets his way. Remember, this is a guy who submitted UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes...twice! A note, those were Hughes' first two losses on his professional record and Hughes would go on to win the Welterweight title within a year of the second loss.

Ebersole is fighting in his second bout in the UFC after winning his debut over Chris Lytle at UFC 127. Overall, Ebersole is on a nine fight winning streak that dates back to November 2008.

Ebersole is also a ground technician and is a former NCAA Division one wrestler. His fight with Lytle was explosive and earned "Fight of the Night" honors so with everything in mind, this could be an early favourite to be this event's "Fight of the Night".

Can Matt Hamill Rebound from His Loss to Rampage?

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It has been an interesting road for Matt Hamill to travel for the last year or so.

Since defeating current Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones via disqualification in December 2009, he has been on a roller coaster.

First, he earned a majority decision victory over Keith Jardine in June 2010. He went on to face his former T.U.F. coach, Tito Ortiz at UFC 121. Hamill was victorious in that classic student vs. teacher bout and got a shot at Quinton "Rampage"Jackson.

Jackson defeated Hamill at UFC 130 this past May.

Shaking the cobwebs off from that bout, Hamill was called to replace Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 133 and in mid-July, Hamill accepted the bout against Alexander Gustafsson.

With the short time between fights, Hamill has gone from the main event to a Spike TV fight. That isn't the question.

The question is that with the short span, can Hamill forget about the Rampage fight and start a new streak against Gustafsson, a man who is on a two fight win streak and has only one loss in his MMA career?

If Hamill wins, does he earn a shot in the main event scene? There are many questions in the UFC Light Heavyweight division but we will get to that later.

Will Yoshihiro Akiyama Earn "Fight of the Night" Honors Again?

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There is no question that when Yoshihiro Akiyama fights, everyone watches. He is a very exciting fighter to watch and has the ability to put on another great performance against former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort.

All of Akiyama's fights thus far in the UFC has earned "Fight of the Night" honors and so it leaves the question. He has fought three times in the UFC and against an opponent like Belfort, can Akiyama make it four "Fight of the Night" awards in a row?

For Akiyama, he is on a two fight losing streak but he has put on a show. What will happen when he faces Belfort?

Speaking of Belfort...

Can Vitor Belfort Shake off His Devastating Loss to Anderson Silva?

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Fortunately for the UFC, Anderson Silva has returned to a deadly form. That's not to say he has never been deadly but he was coasting for a while. That was until he faced Vitor Belfort.

Unfortunately for Belfort, he caught a face full of foot and got knocked out in 3:25 at UFC 126 and Silva retained the Middleweight Championship.

Belfort also contracted Hepatitis A in April but said this wouldn't jeopardize his fight with Akiyama.

With all that to come back from, can Belfort come back to the form he showed in his five fight winning steak before the Silva fight?

Is Chad Mendes Next in Line for the Featherweight Title?

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Originally, the Light Heavyweight title wasn't the only one set to be defended at UFC 133. Jose Aldo was slated to face Chad Mendes at this event but had to drop out due to an injury suffered in his latest title defense against Mark Hominick at UFC 129.

Aldo was replaced by Rani Yahya.

Kenny Florian came into the title picture with his win over Diego Nunes at UFC 131. With the win, Florian earned a shot at Jose Aldo's title, a fight that will take place at UFC 136 in October.

With that fight set, does a win by Mendes here earn him a fight against the winner of the Aldo-Florian fight? What will happen if Yahya gets the win?

Is Tito Ortiz Back to Winning Form or Was His Win over Ryan Bader a Fluke?

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Tito Ortiz is on a winning streak for the first time in almost five years. His win over Ryan Bader saved his UFC career as he was almost ready to retire if he was not victorious.

He will step in for an injured Phil Davis and face a familiar foe in former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans.

These two faced off before, all the way back at UFC 73 in July 2007. The fight was declared a draw so there is some unfinished business here.

With all that has happened since their first encounter, Ortiz has to prove that his win over Bader wasn't a fluke. Does Ortiz have another title run in him or will he be signing his retirement papers by the end of 2011? This fight will be a major factor on what Ortiz will be doing past this year.