UFC 181 Results: 10 Burning Questions Heading into TUF20 Finale, UFC on Fox 13
UFC 181 is in the books. The results are as follows:
Main Card
- Robbie Lawler def. Johny Hendricks by split decision (Lawler named new UFC welterweight champion)
- Anthony Pettis def. Gilbert Melendez by submission (guillotine choke), 1:53, Rd. 2 (Pettis retains UFC Lightweight Championship)
- Travis Browne def. Brendan Schaub by TKO, 4:40, Rd. 1
- Todd Duffee def. Anthony Hamilton by KO, 0:33, Rd. 1
- Tony Ferguson def. Abel Trujillo by submission (rear-naked choke), 4:19, Rd. 2
Preliminary Card
- Urijah Faber def. Francisco Rivera by submission (bulldog choke), 1:34, Rd. 2
- Josh Samman def. Eddie Gordon by KO, 3:08, Rd. 2
- Corey Anderson def. Justin Jones by unanimous decision
- Raquel Pennington def. Ashlee Evans-Smith by submission (bulldog choke), 4:59, Rd. 1
- Sergio Pettis def. Matt Hobar by unanimous decision
- Clay Collard def. Alex White by unanimous decision
Next up? Consecutive Fight Nights in The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale (Friday, Dec. 12) and UFC on Fox 13 (Saturday, Dec. 13).
There is a whole lot to talk about here, and for the first time in a good long while, I had to cut down the number of questions that I considered hot enough to discuss. As the TUF season's subtitle will tell you, a champion will be crowned on Friday night, and after that, an unusually strong television card will come up, filled with ranked names on the main card and interesting fights on the prelims.
So what should we be discussing for the next few days? Find out here!
Can Jeremy Stephens Remain Relevant at 145 Pounds?
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The Fight: Jeremy Stephens vs. Charles Oliveira
The Real Fight: Jeremy Stephens vs. The Awesomeness of the Featherweight Division
The Stakes
Jeremy Stephens was one of the many veterans that experienced an improbable resurgence in 2013. After a career spent as a middling lightweight, Stephens polished up his takedown defense and started finding more opportunities to blast opponents with his clubbing haymakers. Unfortunately, his opportunity to vault into title contention at the expense of Cub Swanson was wasted. Now, he must defeat the young Brazilian, Charles Oliveira, to ensure he remains a high-level player at 145 pounds.
The Question
Can Jeremy Stephens remain relevant at 145 pounds?
Analysis
Theoretically, this should be a slam-dunk for Stephens. Oliveira's below-average wrestling and mediocre striking should leave him susceptible to Stephens' wild, powerful punches. That said, nothing is guaranteed with Lil' Heathen. Not even him actually showing up. Stephens has a history of matching his winning streaks with ugly stalls, and that just won't cut it in today's featherweight division, where almost every fight is a must-win when discussing title contention.
Which TUF20 Also-Rans Will Stand Out?
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The Fight: Multiple Fights on the TUF20 Finale
The Real Fight: Standing Out vs. Low Ratings
The Stakes
While TUF20 was a groundbreaking affair, the season's competitors are not immune to the pitfalls that come post-show. A strong performance, especially here, can instantly reassert their contender status. A poor showing can easily stamp their ticket back to Invicta (or the regional scene).
The Question
Which TUF20 also-rans will stand out?
Analysis
This season of The Ultimate Fighter was designed to give the UFC not just a champion, but also footholds for various territories Zuffa wants to expand into. It's no coincidence that the season featured fighters from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Australia, and the established pool of strawweights includes ladies from South Korea and Finland. There will also be a likely top contender bout between Claudia Gadelha (from Brazil) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (from Poland) the next night on UFC on Fox 13.
Unfortunately, none of the ladies from abroad got especially close to the belt, which means the UFC will have to keep its fingers crossed on Friday night. It will be interesting to see who comes through as high-level talent and who fades away.
Who Will Become the First UFC Strawweight Champion?
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The Fight: Unknown
The Real Fight: Unknown
The Stakes
Before Friday turns to Saturday, there will be a new UFC champion. While we won't know who is fighting until Wednesday (the remaining semifinal bouts are Rose Namajunas vs. Randa Markos and Carla Esparza vs. Jessica Penne), this bout is easily the most important of the weekend.
The Question
Who will become the first UFC strawweight champion?
Analysis
There isn't really much to say here, given how we have no idea who is fighting. All four fighters have demonstrated legitimate skills, but Markos' penchant for upsets and Namajunas' rapid development have been the stories of the season (well...outside of Angela Magana's descent into madness). The real question, however, is how big of a star the champion will be once she receives her belt.
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What the Heck Will Happen with Henry Cejudo?
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The Fight: Henry Cejudo vs. Dustin Kimura
The Real Fight: Henry Cejudo vs. Henry Cejudo
The Stakes
UFC on Fox 13 is stacked top to bottom, and that includes the UFC debut of part-time uber-prospect, part-time mental patient Henry Cejudo. While Cejudo is already as accomplished as somebody can get in the realm of combat sports (he won gold in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Olympic Games), his MMA career has been defined by a general inability to actually show up to his own fights.
While his bout with Dustin Kimura should be as "must-see" as the UFC debuts of Conor McGregor and Doo-Ho Choi, it's tough to push this too hard when there's a good chance he will wind up at home, watching UFC on Fox 13 like the rest of us.
The Question
What the heck will happen with Henry Cejudo?
Analysis
This isn't just me being mean. CagePotato.com gave us a comprehensive breakdown of Cejudo's puff pastry-like flakiness earlier this year, which already read like a tragic play (both in terms of length and content). All that, by the way, came before he withdrew from UFC 177 due to "medical reasons." If Cejudo can show up and make weight without anything crazy happening, this is an interesting battle between a high-level wrestler and a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu player. That, unfortunately, is a really big "if."
Which Veterans Will Cement Themselves at UFC on Fox 13?
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The Fight: Multiple UFC on Fox 13 Fights
The Real Fight: Athletes vs. Time
The Stakes
Many recognizable names from years past appear on the UFC on Fox 13 card. Joe Riggs, Ben Saunders, Jamie Varner, Gabriel Gonzaga, Ed Herman and more have a whole lot on the line and need to continue winning in order to stay relevant.
The Question
Which veterans will cement themselves at UFC on Fox 13?
Analysis
Each of the veterans here is on a different career trajectory. Gonzaga and Herman are in holding patterns, trying to keep their career train chugging for as long as possible. Varner is likely fighting for his job. Saunders and Riggs are on unlikely, but interesting, career upswings.
The stories are too numerous to do justice to in one section of a single slide. Ultimately, the fact that this much intrigue can be found across the card speaks to how strong it is.
Will Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk Yield the Top Strawweight Contender?
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The Fight: Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
The Real Fight: Contender vs. Contender
The Stakes
The ladies of TUF20 will fight to decide the UFC's first 115-pound champion Friday night on Fox Sports 1 for an audience of about 550,000. Claudia Gadelha and Joanna Jedrzejczyk, however, will appear on Fox that Saturday in front of more than one million fans. Because of that, it is possible that the winner of this fight won't just be the on-paper top contender but also the most widely identifiable fighter in the division for casual fans (for whatever that is worth).
The Question
Will Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk yield the top strawweight contender?
Analysis
When TUF20 was first conceived as a tournament predominantly involving imported Invicta FC fighters, one of the safest bets to win was Gadelha. Meanwhile, Jedrzejczyk has demonstrated herself to be a legitimate talent, and a win over the Brazilian would undeniably trampoline her into the top-five of the women's strawweight division. This is a big fight, folks, and is quite possibly the most title-relevant on the UFC on Fox 13 card. Watch it!
What Will Happen with Stefan Struve?
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The Fight: Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve
The Real Fight: Stefan Struve vs. Persistent Health Problems
The Stakes
It has been a rough year-and-a-half for Stefan Struve. In 2013, it seemed as though the lanky Dutchman's career may have been over due to a heart condition. While he would remarkably recover and get booked to face Matt Mitrione, his comeback endured a serious setback when he was hospitalized after passing out backstage shortly before the fight. Now, he faces two serious tests at UFC on Fox 13: being able to get back into the cage and perform at a high level, and getting past the always-scary Alistair Overeem.
The Question
What will happen with Stefan Struve?
Analysis
It seems like forever ago, but Struve was actually pretty solid at one point. While his vexing inability to utilize his long frame when striking frustrated many, he still racked up numerous wins against decent competition, most notably his 2012 knockout of Stipe Miocic. However, as impressive as his wins were, his losses were equally fantastic, as he wound up on the highlight reels of Junior dos Santos, Roy Nelson, Travis Browne and Mark Hunt.
Struve has always been a mixed bag, and it isn't a leap to predict that the long layoff and a potentially less-than-optimal psyche may put him at an insurmountable disadvantage against any UFC heavyweight, never mind a stylistic nightmare like Overeem. Looking at this logically, it's hard to imagine things going well for Skyscraper. If he somehow wins, though, it will be one of the most heartwarming comeback stories we've seen in MMA.
Can Alistair Overeem Return to Form?
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The Fight: Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve
The Real Fight: Alistair Overeem vs. Slam-Dunk Wins
The Stakes
Alistair Overeem's days in the promotion have felt numbered for a long while now. Sure, there are fighters with worse records, but the combination of brutal knockout losses and sheer disappointment among fans set him apart from other fighters. Knowing that, the UFC set him up against his countryman, Stefan Struve. "The Reem" should be the lion to Struve's lamb, but if it doesn't pan out that way, it will mark the official, undisputed end of Overeem's time as a relevant heavyweight.
The Question
Can Alistair Overeem return to form?
Analysis
Overeem is already labeled by many as one of the greatest flops in UFC history. While the billing isn't incorrect, "how did it come to this?" is still a question worth asking. He remains one of the best pure strikers in the heavyweight division, and he is not an easy out on the ground, either.
Whether his recent struggles are psychological (he was unable to finish off wounded opponents in three consecutive fights, which led to two of his losses), technical (getting knocked out three times in a row suggests something is wrong with his approach) or just plain old bad luck is up for debate. What is not up for debate, however, is that he should beat Struve. If he can't, it might be time for The Reem to start looking at new career opportunities.
Can Nate Diaz Make Things Very Complicated for the UFC?
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The Fight: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Nate Diaz
The Real Fight: Nate Diaz vs. "The Man"
The Stakes
After an ugly contract dispute, Nate Diaz is back in the cage...and boy, does he have a big opportunity in front of him. Set to face Rafael dos Anjos, who is hot off a knockout win over Benson Henderson, Diaz has the opportunity to not just reassert himself as a top-level lightweight, but become the top contender at 155 pounds.
The Question
Can Nate Diaz make things very Complicated for the UFC?
Analysis
How fun would this be? Diaz, right as the UFC is prepped to roll out fancy new Reebok uniforms, puts himself in position to take the belt and go full-blown Tito Ortiz.
The lightweight title picture could not have shaken out better for Diaz. He already owns an emphatic win over Donald Cerrone, and Khabib Nurmagomedov's injury has hurt his claim to contention. By beating Dos Anjos, Diaz would avenge both of his recent losses to Henderson and Josh Thomson (at least, according to MMA math). Add to that his built-in fanbase and the storyline of avenging his BFF's loss to Anthony Pettis, and you have a really interesting fight.
Is Stipe Miocic an Elite Heavyweight?
10 of 10
The Fight: Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic
The Real Fight: Stipe Miocic vs. The Hump
The Stakes
Stipe Miocic has knocked off two of the heavyweight division's sternest gatekeepers in Gabriel Gonzaga and Roy Nelson. That counts for a lot. So, too, do his individual boxing and wrestling skills.
Junior dos Santos, however, is a challenge unlike any he has faced before, and is undeniably one of the best fighters in the game today. If he can get the win, he will stake a claim for elite status in the heavyweight division.
The Question
Is Stipe Miocic an elite heavyweight?
Analysis
Miocic is actually really good. As was detailed in the B/R MMA 125, Miocic ranks in the top five of the division in terms of wrestling, striking and intangibles. His honest-to-goodness athleticism gives him a strength, speed and cardio advantage over almost anybody in the division.
Those are a lot of tools to work with, but he will need each and every one of them to defeat the former champ. If he can pull it off, though, he will be deserving of a place at the heavyweight division's grownups table.
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