UFC 182: Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 59
UFC 182 is in the books. The results are as follows:
UFC 182 Main Card on Pay-Per-View
- Jon Jones def. Daniel Cormier, unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
- Donald Cerrone def. Myles Jury, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Brad Tavares def. Nate Marquardt, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Kyoji Horiguchi def. Louis Gaudinot, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Hector Lombard def. Josh Burkman, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Paul Felder def. Danny Castillo, knockout (Round 2, 2:09)
- Cody Garbrandt def. Marcus Brimage, TKO (Round 3, 4:50)
- Shawn Jordan def. Jared Cannonier, knockout (Round 1, 2:57)
- Evan Dunham def. Rodrigo Damm, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Omari Akhmedov def. Mats Nilsson, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Marion Reneau def. Alexis Dufresne, unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
Next up? UFC Fight Night 59 on January 18.
Headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Dennis Siver, fans get to look forward to a full two weeks of promo-cutting and smack talk. That isn't all, though, as the card features a big lightweight fight between former champions Ben Henderson and Eddie Alvarez, as well as hot up-and-coming talent in Uriah Hall and Norman Parke.
So what topics should you dwell on as you puff on your pipe? Find out here!
Will the Move to Sunday Night Help UFC Ratings?
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The Fight: N/A
The Real Fight: NFL's Playoff Schedule vs. UFC
The Stakes
In the battle between football and the UFC, there is only one winner, and it isn't the UFC. With that in mind, the promotion is set to put on a rare Sunday night event, something we have only seen on a few occasions. It will be interesting to see if the combination of a blue-chip main event and a strong time slot can help the UFC's less-than-stellar ratings.
The Question
Will the move to Sunday night help UFC ratings?
Analysis
The UFC has popped up in many different time slots over recent years, from a brief foray on Wednesday nights to Fridays to occasional Saturday afternoons. Sunday nights? That hasn't happened too many times.
Sunday night after playoff football. I don't think that has happened yet. It will be worth keeping an eye out on the Nielsen's to see if this makes any sort of serious difference for the UFC.
Can the UFC's Non-McGregor Irish Fighters Put on a Strong Showing?
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The Fight: Cathal Pendred vs. Sean Spencer, Patrick Holohan vs. Shane Howell
The Real Fight: Footholds vs. Rocky Terrain
The Stakes
The UFC is bullish on its prospects in Ireland, but as we have seen in the past, it takes more than one fighter to hammer down a prolonged presence in any given country. With that in mind, the promotion needs fighters like Cathal Pendred and Patrick Holohan to pull their own weight by winning fights. With both men coming off weak performances, they will need to put on a strong showing in order to make good on the incredible opportunity they have in front of them.
The Question
Can the UFC's non-McGregor Irish fighters put on a strong showing?
Analysis
Pendred was last seen at Fight Night 53 being gifted a split decision over Gasan Umalatov. Holohan was last seen at Fight Night 54, squandering an early lead against Chris Kelades. While the UFC actually has a surprising abundance of Irish talent capable of picking up wins (North Ireland's Norman Parke and Conor McGregor also appear on this card, and Aisling Daly and Neil Seery have both picked up UFC wins), more is always better.
The UFC will have its fingers crossed for Pendred and Holohan here. If both can pick up wins, they will wind up being a steady presence in Ireland for the foreseeable future. If they can't pull it off, they will be taking the first step toward Andre Winner or Efrain Escudero status.
Did the UFC Actually Find a Decent Chinese Mixed Martial Artist?
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The Fight: Zhang Lipeng vs. Chris Wade
The Real Fight: Chinese Mixed Martial Artists vs. the Ugly State of MMA in China
The Stakes
The Ultimate Fighter: China winner Zhang Lipeng has already done something that Zhang Tiequan never did: He has shown that he isn't the worst fighter in the UFC. He has a 2-0 record in the promotion, and the UFC is looking to keep him in the win column at the expense of the unseasoned Chris Wade. If he can hammer down "not terrible at fighting" status, there is a lot of money to be made for him.
The Question
Did the UFC actually find a decent Chinese mixed martial artist?
Analysis
Conor McGregor may kick down the doors to Ireland...but Ireland has less than half the population of Pennsylvania and less than half the GDP of New Jersey. When it comes to foreign markets, the beaucoup bucks (or, in this case, the feichang bucks) are found in China.
The big problem, however, is that the Chinese MMA game is lagging far behind the rest of the world. While the nation's MMA potential is deceptively high (China regularly earns Olympic medals in judo and wrestling), it is incredibly limited at this time due to its lack of high-level gyms. That makes Lipeng's success, no matter how small from an athletic perspective, a big deal for the promotion.
If Lipeng can move to 3-0 in the Octagon, the UFC's new general manager of Asia will be quite pleased.
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Is Norman Parke Finally Going to Make a Name for Himself?
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The Fight: Norman Parke vs. Gleison Tibau
The Real Fight: Norman Parke vs. Fighting Without Training Wheels
The Stakes
Norman Parke has long been a fighter with high promotional value. Because of that, the UFC has been very slow to challenge him. With a 4-0-1 record, however, he might finally be getting his chance to fly. The UFC is throwing Parke in against one of the division's foremost gatekeepers, Gleison Tibau, and if he can defeat the hulking Brazilian emphatically, he might just be ready to jump into the lightweight rankings.
The Question
Is Norman Parke finally going to make a name for himself?
Analysis
Skill has never been the question when it comes to Parke, but to quote myself:
"The UFC has been grooming Parke since he won The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. While most TUF winners have been kept in a separate matchmaking pool, Zuffa has mostly kept Parke on their lap, stroking his gorgeous hair and hand-feeding him imported jobbers. When the UFC took the training wheels off for a fight against TUF: Brazil 2 winner Leonardo Santos and found Parke wanting, the company picked him back up and put him back on a diet of random fighters from the Pacific Rim.
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However, while the UFC has successfully kept Parke in the win column, the lack of competition and visibility has kept him from blowing up in terms of popularity. That, however, may end here.
A win over Tibau, one of the UFC's most experienced fighters, is no small thing. If Parke can pull it off with the same kind of dominance he has demonstrated against the Jon Tucks and Naoyuki Kotanis, he might just be one of the best in the 155-pound business.
Will Uriah Hall Keep Up His Winning Streak?
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The Fight: Uriah Hall vs. Louis Taylor
The Real Fight: Uriah Hall vs. Inconsistency
The Stakes
It was barely a year ago that UFC President Dana White was promising to boot The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 runner-up Uriah Hall. How time flies...
Hall has racked up back-to-back emphatic wins and, given his supreme talent, is at the door of middleweight notoriety. While the opportunity to leap into the rankings was denied when Costas Philippou withdrew from Fight Night 59 due to injury, he has the chance to pad his resume at the expense of Bellator and Strikeforce veteran Louis Taylor.
The Question
Will Uriah Hall keep up his winning streak?
Analysis
Few fighters are as scary in the cage and as enigmatic out of it as Hall is. The man who would kick your head clean off and then apologize for it has provided a great deal of discussion despite having just a handful of fights in the Octagon. While this is something of a throwaway fight for Hall, this is a strong opportunity for him to show off his skills.
Which Former Champion Will Suddenly Become the Worst Fighter in the World?
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The Fight: Benson Henderson vs. Eddie Alvarez
The Real Fight: Great Fighters vs. Silly Fans
The Stakes
Eddie Alvarez and Ben Henderson both have resumes that rank among the greatest in lightweight history. Oddly, despite both having an extensive history of exciting fights, neither has really endeared himself to the Bud Lite-drinking MMA fan. With both men coming off losses, whoever comes up short here will have the keyboard warriors mobilizing against him in a big way.
The Question
Which former champion will suddenly become the worst fighter in the world?
Analysis
"Ben Henderson is so boring. He needs the referees to gift him decisions!" says one Twitter user with 75 followers. "Eddie Alvarez is the Bellator champion. Bellator fights don't even count! He has never beaten a UFC-caliber fighter! No fighter from another promotion has come in and become champion!" says a frequent commenter.
It's disrespectful, and it's silly to describe these two in such a way...so naturally, it happens all the time. This is an amazing fight, and we should all be happy to have the opportunity to witness it. It would be wonderful if, for just this one time, MMA fans could keep their schadenfreude in check.
Can Conor McGregor Keep Up His UFC Dominance?
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The Fight: Conor McGregor vs. Dennis Siver
The Real Fight: Big Talk vs. Backing It Up
The Stakes
Conor McGregor has become one of the biggest names in the UFC through his ruthless smack talk, but for the most part, he has backed up that talk with emphatic knockouts. That, however, is a trend that needs to continue if he wants to maintain the unstoppable aura he has built up.
The Question
Can Conor McGregor keep up his UFC dominance?
Analysis
McGregor's smack talk wouldn't have stuck with fans in any serious way unless he backed it up in the cage. Cole Miller, for example, displayed some strong mic work but didn't quite jell with fans with his less-than-elite skills and less-than-exciting style. While McGregor has written some big checks with his mouth, he has been able to cash them thus far.
Dennis Siver, however, is a deceptively stiff opponent for McGregor. A fellow lifelong striker, Siver likely won't be flabbergasted by an in-and-out threat like McGregor. If he can challenge him in a big way, it will be interesting to see how McGregor, and the fans, react to this development.
Will Dennis Siver Prove to Be a Bad Matchup for McGregor?
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The Fight: Conor McGregor vs. Dennis Siver
The Real Fight: Dennis Siver vs. Another Striker
The Stakes
It has been said that every fight is either a sure thing or a huge opportunity. For Dennis Siver, this isn't just a huge opportunity—it's a potentially career-maker. While Siver is a ridiculously huge underdog (Odds Shark has him sitting between plus-575 and plus-700 as of this writing), this is a deceptively winnable fight for him.
The Question
Will Dennis Siver prove to be a bad matchup for McGregor?
Analysis
MMA history has always shown that the Achilles' heel of any given electrifying striker is his wrestling game, and the UFC is actively protecting McGregor with its matchmaking. While this fight, theoretically, allows McGregor to stay on his feet and pick away with his rangy punches, the Irishman has never been forced to make it work against UFC fighters with striking bases.
Granted, many of Siver's losses have come at the hands of polished strikers like Melvin Guillard, Cub Swanson and Donald Cerrone. That said, in this writer's opinion, the sample size for McGregor isn't deep enough to confidently say that this is a slam dunk. While McGregor should still be favored, the betting man would be wise to take an extra look at Siver.
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