UFC Fight Night 50 Results: Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 51
UFC Fight Night 50 is in the books. The results are as follows:
UFC Fight Night 50 Main Card
- Ronaldo Souza def. Gegard Mousasi, submission (Round 3, 4:30)
- Ben Rothwell def. Alistair Overeem, TKO (Round 1, 2:19)
- Matt Mitrione def. Derrick Lewis, KO (Round 1, 0:41)
- Joe Lauzon def. Michael Chiesa, TKO (Round 2, 2:14)
- Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira—Cancelled
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- John Moraga def. Justin Scoggins, submission (Round 2, 0:47)
- Al Iaquinta def. Rodrigo Damm, TKO (Round 3, 2:41)
- Rafael Natal def. Chris Camozzi, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Chris Beal def. Tateki Matsuda, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Chas Skelly def. Sean Soriano, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Next up is Fight Night 51 on September 13. The card is a standard Brazilian card that is stacked with local names opposite foreign "talent." Still, with names like Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva, Gleison Tibau and Iuri Alcantara, the event is worth tuning into.
So what topics are worth discussing for the next week? Find out right here!
Will Paulo Thiago Justify His New Contract?
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The Fight: Paulo Thiago vs. Sean Spencer
The Real Fight: UFC's Roster Practices vs. Logic
The Stakes
In 2009, Paulo Thiago became one of the hottest names in the UFC by knocking out Josh Koscheck in his first UFC bout. It has been all downhill since. Thiago owns a 5-7 UFC record and is 2-6 since 2010...but that didn't stop the UFC from giving him a four-fight contract extension earlier this year. Now we get to see whether there is some secret logic behind this move, or if the UFC is just willy-nilly tossing contracts around.
The Question
Will Paulo Thiago justify his new contract?
Analysis
Thiago is in the UFC, and Ben Askren isn't...
But, in fairness, until recently, Thiago didn't lose to any slouches. He could beat decent competition but would consistently fall short against the Kampmanns, Sanchezes, Kims and that one time to a Bahadurzada. Over the last year, however, he has lost to unknowns Brandon Thatch and Gasan Umalatov.
At this point, it's hard to favor Thiago over anybody, including the 2-2 Sean Spencer. If he doesn't have a return to his 2009 form, it's hard to imagine him sticking around for much longer.
What Will We See out of Larissa Pacheco?
2 of 7The Fight: Jessica Andrade vs. Larissa Pacheco
The Real Fight: Hotshot Rookie vs. Relatively Established Opponent
The Stakes
You might not have seen much of her, but Larissa Pacheco is quietly one of the hottest prospects in women's MMA. The 19-year-old has torn apart the Brazilian women's MMA scene, accruing a 10-0 record with all her wins coming via stoppage (four knockouts and six submissions, with the majority coming in the first round). Now, however, we get to see if she is a Jon Jones-style "next big thing" or more of a Tor Troeng.
The Question
What will we see out of Larissa Pacheco?
Analysis
A 10-0 record with 10 stoppages certainly looks nice, but as with so many hotshot Brazilian prospects, there is the "all her opponents sucked" asterisk. None of her opponents had more than seven career fights, and most of them had fewer than five. The tape shows that she has legitimate stopping power, but it's hard to (figuratively) put money down on her until we see her pull it off against fighters with any measure of talent.
Enter Jessica Andrade.
Andrade is basically the most average fighter in the UFC's women's division, beating the breaks off Rosi Sexton in one of 2013's most lopsided beatdowns but getting dominated by Liz Carmouche. If Pacheco can work her over in similar fashion, the UFC might just be on to something with her.
Could Iuri Alcantara Be Moving Toward the Belt Again?
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The Fight: Iuri Alcantara vs. Russell Doane
The Real Fight: Brazilian vs. (Theoretical) Jobber
The Stakes
Win or lose, Iuri Alcantara continues inching ever closer to the bantamweight title picture. With him coming off back-to-back wins over underrated commodities, the UFC might just be ready to vault him toward the belt, giving him a favorable matchup in Russell Doane.
The Question
Could Iuri Alcantara be moving toward the belt again?
Analysis
Iuri (sometimes Yuri) Alcantara is one of the most unique fighters in the UFC's bantamweight division. He's a physically gifted fighter, with long arms, long legs and surprising power. Not only that, but he is one of the few 135ers who can finish fights standing and on the ground.
Because of that, the UFC is breaking...it's building up a bantamweight contender. Can you believe it?!
Doane has a solid body of work (including a 2-0 UFC record and outside wins over Tyson Nam and Jared Papazian), but make no mistake: The UFC is fully expecting this to be an easy fight for Alcantara.
It's a fight in the same vein as Demian Maia vs. Alexander Yakovlev or Donald Cerrone vs. Adriano Martins; it's designed to rouse up the hometown crowd. If he can punch Doane's face off the way he did to Vaughan Lee in May, we might just see the UFC start moving him toward the belt in earnest.
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Why Does This Card Have so Many Squash Matches?
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The Fight: Gleison Tibau vs. Piotr Hallman
The Real Fight: Squasher vs. Squashee
The Stakes
Gleison Tibau is one of the lightweight division's most well-entrenched figures. Piotr Hallman is not. The musclebound 155er finds himself with a near-certain win on his hands, which nearly assures a win bonus, but does little to help move him toward the Cinderella title run he is angling for.
The Question
Why does this card have so many squash matches?
Analysis
The UFC has been gradually incorporating more and more squash matches into its cards. It started out with a few oddities, but we have now reached a point where you can find not one, not two, but three on a main card. Four if you count the main event as one. While this is still MMA, where anything can happen and you should "never trust the odds" no matter how obviously lopsided the fight is, that is a major step back from the past.
Granted, the UFC needs to keep fans happy. This card, after all, is a Brazil card, and with Brazilian MMA on a general decline—as Americans capture their belts while European talent forces them off the rankings—the UFC needs to give the crowd something to cheer for.
Still, one of the things that previously made MMA special was that, title or no, most fights were meaningful and unpredictable. It's kind of sad that those days are over.
Can Efrain Escudero Actually Win in the UFC?
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The Fight: Leonardo Santos vs. Efrain Escudero
The Real Fight: Efrain Escudero vs. ...wait, really? Efrain Escudero?
The Stakes
Efrain Escudero has been invited to fight in the UFC for a third time. It's an odd turn for sure, given the fact that he hasn't been especially outstanding. While, logically, the UFC brought back Escudero to add another Mexican fighter to the roster, the company is doing him no favors by giving him a tough matchup in The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2 winner Leonardo Santos.
The Question
Can Efrain Escudero actually win in the UFC?
Analysis
Nothing about this fight makes sense, really.
Escudero has done little to earn a third shot in the UFC, going 4-3 as a journeyman since his second release from the UFC. While he is 4-1 over his last five, he lost to TUF 15 preliminary-round washout Dakota Cochrane just six months ago.
Sure, the UFC is still in dire need of fighters it can pitch to Mexican fans as it gears up for UFC 180, but the company is debuting him as the squashee in what is logically a squash match, rather than trying to build him up against some random newcomer (which, even then, wouldn't be a slam dunk for Escudero).
And, once again, Ben Askren isn't fighting in the UFC!
Will Andrei Arlovski Not Look Bad in His Second Fight?
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The Fight: Antonio Silva vs. Andrei Arlovski
The Real Fight: Andrei Arlovski vs. Father Time
The Stakes
Andrei Arlovski finds himself in a main event in just his second fight since returning to the UFC. His return bout opposite Brendan Schaub was an ugly one, as the former champ sputtered to a controversial split decision. Now set to face off with former EliteXC champ Antonio Silva, there are serious questions regarding Arlovski's placement on this card and his future prospects in the sport.
The Question
Will Andrei Arlovski not look bad in his second fight?
Analysis
Arlovski was near perfect after unceremoniously washing out of Strikeforce, racking up a 6-1 (1) record. While questions regarding his malleable chin linger, he continues to rack up wins.
So what's the problem, then?
Well, his fight with Schaub was awful. He struggled against a less-than-elite opponent and showed less-than-elite cardio. While Dana White explicitly stated that putting the fight on a pay-per-view main card was a mistake, Arlovski vaulted from curtain-jerker to main eventer. Disaster is written all over this fight, and it will be interesting to see if it can somehow be avoided.
Can Antonio Silva Be the First Fighter to Look Good Sans TRT (besides Rothwell)?
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The Fight: Antonio Silva vs. Andrei Arlovski
The Real Fight: Antonio Silva vs. Life Without TRT
The Stakes
Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva returns from his second drug-test suspension. He is one of the many UFC fighters who used the controversial testosterone replacement therapy treatment, which functionally allowed fighters to compete while using doctor-administered steroids. Since the TRT ban, however, fighters coming off the treatment have struggled to find success. Silva looks to post his first win since defeating Alistair Overeem with what may be a huge handicap.
The Question
Can Antonio Silva be the first fighter to look good sans TRT?
Analysis
Chael Sonnen? Retired from MMA and suspended for good measure. Frank Mir? Battered by Alistair Overeem. Dan Henderson? Looks every minute of 44 years old. Vitor Belfort? Deflating like a leaking balloon.
Life after TRT hasn't been awesome for its former users. If Silva can win, he will be the first UFC fighter to get forcibly cut off from TRT to do so (besides Ben Rothwell).
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