UFC Fight Night 55, 56 Results: Burning Questions Heading into UFC 180

UFC Fight Nights 55 and 56 are in the books. The results are as follows:

Fight Night 55

• Luke Rockhold def. Michael Bisping, submission (Round 2, 0:57) 
• Al Iaquinta def. Ross Pearson, TKO (Round 2, 1:39)
• Robert Whittaker def. Clint Hester, TKO (Round 2, 2:43)
• Soa Palelei def. Walt Harris, TKO (Round 2, 4:49)
• Jake Matthews def. Vagner Rocha, submission (Round 2, 1:52)
• Anthony Perosh def. Guto Inocente, submission (Round 1, 3:46)
• Sam Alvey def. Dylan Andrews, knockout (Round 1, 2:16)
• Louis Smolka def. Richie Vaculik, TKO (Round 3, 0:18)
• Chris Clements def. Vik Grujic, TKO (Round 1, 3:06)
• Daniel Kelly def. Luke Zachrich, submission (Round 1, 4:27)
• Marcus Brimage def. Jumabieke Tuerxun, knockout (Round 1, 2:58)

Fight Night 56

• Ovince Saint Preux def. Mauricio Rua, knockout (Round 1, 0:31)
• Ian McCall vs. John Lineker—Cancelled
• Warlley Alves def. Alan Jouban, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Claudio Silva def. Leon Edwards, split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dhiego Lima def. Jorge Oliveira, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Juliana Lima def. Nina Ansaroff, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Diego Rivas def. Rodolfo Rubio, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Caio Magalhaes def. Trevor Smith, knockout (Round 1, 0:31)
• Leandro Silva def. Charlie Brenneman, submission (Round 1, 4:15)
• Thomas Almeida def. Tim Gorman, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Colby Covington def. Wagner Silva, submission (Round 3, 3:26)

Next up? UFC 180.

While the card has been dealt blow after blow with (deep breath) Norman Parke, Erik Perez, Joe Lauzon, Diego Sanchez and, of course, Cain Velasquez being sidelined...it still has Mark Hunt and Fabricio Werdum, and that's just awesome. 

So what questions are key entering UFC 180? Find out right here!

What Will Happen with TUF: Latin America?

The Fight: Leandro Morales vs. Yair Rodriguez, Alejandro Perez vs. Jose Alberto Quinonez
The Real Fight: UFC vs. "There was a The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America?"

The Stakes

TUF: Latin America worked out about as well as it could have for the UFC. While the show is labeled as "Latin America" it was designed to kick down the doors into Mexico and provide the company with some fan-familiar footholds. As it stands, the UFC is guaranteed to have at least one Mexican TUF winner and might have two.

That is a solid situation for the UFC to be in, but fans everywhere else have been utterly checked out on this season.

The Question

What will happen with TUF: Latin America?

Analysis

The recent international editions of The Ultimate Fighter aren't technically supposed to be all that interesting for fans "everywhere else." Unfortunately, the UFC is utterly overrun with uninteresting, barely talented fighters from weak seasons of the once-popular reality show. While the American version of the show still produces occasional gems like Kelvin Gastelum and Myles Jury, the international editions have yet to produce a ranked fighter.

Will TUF: Latin America be able to buck that trend and provide a legitimate player? Almost certainly not, as the fighters are lower-level regional talent at best.

Can Ricardo Lamas Leapfrog His Way Back into Featherweight Contention?

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The Fight: Ricardo Lamas vs. Dennis Bermudez
The Real Fight: Ricardo Lamas vs. The Aldo Effect

The Stakes

Many UFC champions have a habit of ending opponents' careers, and Jose Aldo is one of the most notorious for that. Ricardo Lamas, however, bounced back from his loss to Aldo and has an enormous opportunity in his fight against Dennis Bermudez. A convincing win over Bermudez, who is riding a seven-fight winning streak, could vault Lamas right back into title contention.

The Question

Can Ricardo Lamas leapfrog his way back into featherweight contention?

Analysis

Lamas was absolutely hosed by the UFC ahead of his fight with Aldo, getting buried on preliminary cards as he knocked off contender after contender. Then, he was forced to sit out a year while waiting for his crack at Aldo, as he was passed over for title shots in favor of Frankie Edgar, Anthony Pettis and Chan-Sung Jung.

Intentionally or otherwise, Zuffa is making it up to Lamas. While he likely won't get a shot at the title in the immediate future even with a win (unless Aldo vacates the belt, or some other crazy stuff happens), he has the chance to reassert himself as an elite-level featherweight. That is no small thing when one considers how things have gone of late for the likes of Glover Teixeira, Antonio Silva and Chan-Sung Jung.

How Much Longer Will People Ignore Dennis Bermudez?

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The Fight: Dennis Bermudez vs. Ricardo Lamas
The Real Fight: Bermudez vs. Being Under the Radar

The Stakes

Dennis Bermudez is on a seven-fight winning streak and has the opportunity to make it eight opposite former title contender Ricardo Lamas. Bermudez owns one of the longest winning streaks in the UFC, beating out champions and contenders alike. Unfortunately, win or lose, he will remain in a holding pattern when it comes to a title shot.

The Question

How much longer will people ignore Dennis Bermudez?

Analysis

On a recent edition of The Tommy Toe Hold Show, the cartoon journalist cracked wise about the UFC overlooking Cub Swanson in its haste to set Conor McGregor up with a title fight. Even in joking about the UFC overlooking fighters, though, he looked over Bermudez! That's how under the radar Bermudez is.

Granted, Bermudez hasn't looked consistently electrifying through his UFC career so far. He lost his official UFC debut to Diego Brandao via first-round submission and barely edged at-the-time no-namers Max Holloway and Matt Grice. By effortlessly dispatching Clay Guida, he theoretically should be right in the thick of contention...but alas, he is not. Even if he wins here, he is not going to leapfrog Cub Swanson, Frankie Edgar or Conor McGregor...

It's kind of sad that a fighter might end up having to put up ten wins in a row before he gets a shot at the belt.

Which Female Bantamweight Will Assert Her Dominance in the Division?

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The Fight: Jessica Eye vs. Leslie Smith
The Real Fight: Eye vs. Smith vs. Title Contention

The Stakes

Jessica Eye and Leslie Smith are in a unique position where both have suffered recent losses but find themselves relatively close to title contention. Eye has put together a humble 0-1 (1) record against strong contenders Sarah Kaufman and Alexis Davis but remains one of the top talents in the division. Smith, meanwhile, debuted in the UFC with a loss to Kaufman but ran through Ronda Rousey training partner Jessamyn Duke.

A strong win or stoppage would likely vault the winner of their showdown to the fringe of title contention.

The Question

Which female bantamweight will assert her dominance in the division?

Analysis

One win or loss can radically alter the women's bantamweight division. Eye may have a 0-1 (1) UFC record, but she brought solid veterans Sarah Kaufman and Alexis Davis to their limits. Smith, meanwhile, owns an even 1-1 record in the UFC but would likely get rocketed toward title contention with a win over Eye.

The division is a little bit cluttered at the top these days, given Cat Zingano's No. 1 contender status and Cris "Cyborg" Justino, Holly Holm and Bethe Correia all being able to stake a claim for next in line. However, a climb toward contention starts in earnest at UFC 180.

Can Kelvin Gastelum Climb to Title Contention?

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The Fight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Jake Ellenberger
The Real Fight: Gastelum vs. Having an Impressive Showing

The Stakes

While Kelvin Gastelum started off as the ultimate underdog, a 4-0 UFC record has earned him a spot on the UFC rankings. That said, he has the chance to go from "solid for a TUF alum" to "legitimate title contender" in short order. Set to face the once-fearsome (now not so much) Jake Ellenberger, Gastelum might just wind up following in the footsteps of John Dodson and T.J. Dillashaw and turn recent TUF success into title contention.

The Question

Can Kelvin Gastelum climb to title contention?

Analysis

You can't deny that there's something there with Gastelum. Just look back to the youngster out-spiriting Bubba McDaniel on The Ultimate Fighter 17 in a scrappy, but technically atrocious, affair and compare it to today. It's an amazing difference in just two years' time.

If he can defeat Ellenberger, a fighter whom many still remember for his amazing run from 2010 to 2012, he will officially graduate from prospect status and become a full-blown contender.

Does Jake Ellenberger Have Anything Left in Him?

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The Fight: Jake Ellenberger vs. Kelvin Gastelum
The Real Fight: Ellenberger vs. Dwindling Expectations

The Stakes

At one point, not all that long ago, Jake Ellenberger was the man to dethrone Georges St-Pierre. Now he might be fighting for his job. While Ellenberger once had a six-fight winning streak, back-to-back stinkers opposite Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler likely have him in a must-win situation.

The Question

Does Jake Ellenberger have anything left in him?

Analysis

Few fighters have hit the proverbial wall as hard or as suddenly as Ellenberger. He went, essentially, from being Johny Hendricks to being Nate Marquardt overnight. Given his lack of activity and overall reluctance to engage over his last two fights, it's accurate to compare him to (gulp) Miguel Torres.

In reality, an on-point Ellenberger should be able to dominate a newbie like Gastelum. Unfortunately, he has looked anything but on-point of late.

Can Mark Hunt Capture UFC Gold?

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The Fight: Fabricio Werdum vs. Mark Hunt
The Real Fight: Hunt vs. The Biggest Moment of His MMA Career

The Stakes

In a strange turn of events, fan-favorite knockout artist Mark Hunt has finally found himself with a shot at (interim) UFC gold. The only man standing in his way? Fabricio Werdum.

If Hunt wins, it will be one of the most absurd comeback stories in sports. If he loses, it will be a sad turn that will effectively end Hunt's time as a title contender. 

The Question

Can Mark Hunt capture UFC gold?

Analysis

Man, this is a tough draw for Hunt. On short notice, no less. On short notice, 5,000 feet above sea level, no less.

Obviously, Hunt can knock out an elephant with one punch. Not only that, but while Werdum is a solid striker in his own right and remains the best grappler in the heavyweight division, he doesn't necessarily have the wrestling game to neutralize Hunt in a consistent way. The cardio gap, however, is profound; if Hunt doesn't score an early knockout, it seems like he will almost certainly lose.

How Long Is Cain Velasquez Gone For?

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The Fight: Fabricio Werdum vs. Mark Hunt
The Real Fight: Fabricio Werdum vs. Not Cain Velasquez

The Stakes

Last month, Cain Velasquez withdrew from a UFC 180 card that was built around his presence. It was a dire hit to the UFC, which set the card up in Mexico to highlight the fearsome champ. It's comparatively a bigger hit, however, for Fabricio Werdum, who now finds himself having to fight his way into title contention...again. Unfortunately, it's anyone's guess as to how long the "real" heavyweight belt will be resting on a mantel.

The Question

How long is Cain Velasquez gone for?

Analysis

Velasquez's trainer Javier Mendez said that Cain's knee surgery was successful, but there was "more damage than anticipated," per MMAFighting.com. If his handlers (who tend to say little more than "everything's fine" no matter how dire the situation) are saying that his knee was actually worse than they were anticipating, it's probably even worse than that.

Granted, while almost every instance of an interim belt became a laughable afterthought, a la Shane Carwin, Carlos Condit or Georges St-Pierre, it can also take on a life of its own, a la Renan Barao. Either way, this is an awkward situation for all, and it will be an agonizing wait for the winner of Werdum vs. Hunt regardless.