UFC on Fox 14 Results: 10 Burning Questions Heading into UFC 183
UFC on Fox 14 is in the books. The results are as follows:
UFC on Fox 14 Main Card
- Anthony Johnson def. Alexander Gustafsson, TKO (Round 1, 2:15)
- Gegard Mousasi def. Dan Henderson, TKO (Round 1, 1:10)
- Ryan Bader def. Phil Davis, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Sam Sicilia def. Akira Corassani, knockout (Round 1, 3:26)
Preliminary Card (on Fox Sports 1)
- Albert Tumenov def. Nico Musoke, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Kenny Robertson def. Sultan Aliev, TKO (Round 1, 2:42)
- Makwan Amirkhani def. Andy Ogle, TKO (Round 1, 0:08)
- Nikita Krylov def. Stanislav Nedkov, submission (Round 1, 1:24)
- Mairbek Taisumov def. Anthony Christodoulou, TKO (Round 2, 0:38)
- Mirsad Bektic def. Paul Redmond, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)
Preliminary Card (on UFC Fight Pass)
- Viktor Pesta def. Konstantin Erokhin, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Neil Seery def. Chris Beal, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Next up? The super-awesome UFC 183 on Jan. 31.
With a foundation built with legitimate contenders like Sara McMann, Kelvin Gastelum, Ian McCall and John Lineker, the event sports an amazingly fun headliner in two returning stars, Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz.
There is a whole lot to be excited for here, and for the first time in a long time, our "Burning Questions" segment is back into double-digit slides.
So who and what should you keep an eye on until Saturday? Find out right here!
What Will Happen in John Lineker vs. Ian McCall?
1 of 10
The Fight: Ian McCall vs. John Lineker
The Real Fight: Title Contender(?) vs. Title Contender(?)
The Stakes
Despite some rough riding, Ian McCall and John Lineker both stand poised to take on Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight belt in 2015. The only thing standing in their way? Each other, of course.
The Question
What will happen in John Lineker vs. Ian McCall?
Analysis
Lineker and McCall are both established as Top 10 flyweights in the cage. Similarly, both men are worth keeping tabs on outside the cage. From Lineker's habit of missing weight to McCall's amazing trolling, there are plenty of kooky things to look out for over the next week...immediately followed by a super-interesting fight!
That sounds pretty good, if you ask me. It's lame that it's going down on the prelims, though.
Is Miesha Tate's Head on Right?
2 of 10
The Fight: Miesha Tate vs. Sara McMann
The Real Fight: Miesha Tate vs. Gym Wandering
The Stakes
Miesha Tate has long been one of the top names in the women's 135-pound division, but there is no denying her recent struggles. In her two 2014 bouts against Liz Carmouche and Rin Nakai, Tate struggled against opponents she would have once demolished. If she does not show up with her A-game against Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann, she will be in for a rough night.
The Question
Is Miesha Tate's head on right?
Analysis
Hand-in-hand with Tate's recent struggles is her status as a "gym ronin." Ronda Rousey actually discussed Tate's habit of bridge-burning ahead of their 2013 rematch, and the sheer number of teams Tate and her longtime boyfriend, coach and training partner, Bryan Caraway, have been briefly linked to suggests that Rousey wasn't just blowing off steam.
Tate is currently training with the new iteration of Xtreme Couture, which is a solid choice for someone with her skill set. If she can recapture some of her Team Alpha Male form, she stands a chance against McMann. Once again, though, she will need to be on point here.
How Good Is Sara McMann?
3 of 10
The Fight: Miesha Tate vs. Sara McMann
The Real Fight: Sara McMann vs. Relatively Weak Competition
The Stakes
Based on Sara McMann's Olympic silver medal in wrestling alone, she owns one of the most impressive resumes in women's MMA today. That said, while she has already fought for the UFC belt, her place in the division is relatively debatable. This fight against Tate will be the toughest test of her career (except for Rousey, of course) and will help in determining whether she is an above-average MMA talent or a truly elite one.
The Question
How good is Sara McMann?
Analysis
An Olympic wrestler entering MMA and having immediate success is not a new story. Joe Warren and Ben Askren have demonstrated just how far an Olympic background can take you before you even get challenged in MMA. That said, it is no guarantee of success, as Alexis Vila has shown.
McMann has beaten a few recognizable names including women's MMA veterans Shayna Baszler and Tonya Evinger, but she has yet to cleanly beat a real contender. She needs to beat Tate here in order to maintain her place among the top ladies in the division.
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What Condition Is Thiago Alves In?
4 of 10
The Fight: Thiago Alves vs. Jordan Mein
The Real Fight: Thiago Ales vs. Chronic Injury Troubles
The Stakes
Thiago Alves finds himself in an all-too-familiar position: poised to re-enter the Octagon after a long, injury-filled layoff. He has fought just twice since 2011, and he hasn't fought more than twice in a calendar year since 2008. Despite his relatively young age (he is just 31 years old), it is hard to image him continuing in this sport much longer.
The Question
What condition is Thiago Alves in?
Analysis
Former title contender Alves' career has been defined by injuries. That is saddening, considering he basically cleared out the welterweight division of 2008, beating Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck.
While the UFC gave him something of a tune-up fight for his 2014 return in Seth Baczynski, it is doing him no favors by pitting him against Jordan Mein. If Alves isn't in top condition (which, unfortunately, is the safe assumption at this point), this will be a bad night for the Brazilian.
Could Thales Leites Really Be a Contender-in-the-Making (Again)?
5 of 10
The Fight: Tim Boetsch vs. Thales Leites
The Real Fight: Thales Leites vs. Conventional Career Trajectories
The Stakes
Going 4-0 since returning to the UFC, Thales Leites already owns one of the craziest MMA comeback stories in recent years. While his win over Francis Carmont earned him a spot in the rankings, he is not quite in title contention range yet. That could change with another impressive win over formidable gatekeeper Tim Boetsch.
The Question
Could Thales Leites really be a contender-in-the-making (again)?
Analysis
Leites' first run toward the belt lives on in infamy because of his yawn-inducing fight with Anderson Silva, which was followed months later by a blatantly spite-based release by the UFC. After a solid run as a journeyman, he was invited back to the UFC and has been lights-out since, showing much-improved striking and wrestling to go along with his established high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
If Leites can defeat Boetsch, a standard power-punching wrestler who is entrenched in the division's good-but-not-great tier, he will be legitimately close to a second title shot.
Can Lauzon vs. Iaquinta Possibly Live Up to Its Potential?
6 of 10
The Fight: Joe Lauzon vs. Al Iaquinta
The Real Fight: Joe Lauzon, Al Iaquinta vs. Boredom
The Stakes
Joe Lauzon is on a career upswing with back-to-back wins over Mac Danzig and Michael Chiesa. Al Iaquinta is suddenly a dark-horse lightweight title contender with a ferocious knockout of Ross Pearson. While this fight has important career ramifications for both men, the potential for Fight of the Year-type excitement is the real story here.
The Question
Can Lauzon vs. Iaquinta possibly live up to its potential?
Analysis
There's not much to talk about here. Lauzon's history of uber-exciting fights is well-known, and Iaquinta has looked every bit his equal in that regard of late. This is the front-runner for Fight of the Night and is certainly one to set some time aside for.
Is Kelvin Gastelum a Legitimate Title Contender?
7 of 10
The Fight: Tyron Woodley vs. Kelvin Gastelum
The Real Fight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Pushing Himself Too Hard
The Stakes
Kelvin Gastelum's rise from soon-to-be-forgotten The Ultimate Fighter winner to welterweight killer has been as surprising as it has been sudden. With wins over solid veterans and rising stars alike, there is no ground to question his skills. Booked to face Tyron Woodley, however, he has the chance to go from "skilled" to "honest-to-goodness contender."
The Question
Is Kelvin Gastelum a legitimate title contender?
Analysis
Tyron Woodley's skill set is well-established at this point. He has the wrestling to beat the less-than-elite talents of the division but not the savvy, experienced veterans. He has deadly power punching but lacks the arsenal to sucker high-level strikers.
Woodley can be beaten in a variety of ways, but one must have high-level skills to do so. If Gastelum can pull it off, it's going to be hard to keep relegating him to underdog status.
How Good Is Anderson Silva These Days?
8 of 10
The Fight: Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz
The Real Fight: Anderson Silva vs. Father Time
The Stakes
Anderson Silva is 39 years old. He is on a two-fight losing streak via brutal knockout and exploding leg, respectively. That is a lot to overcome, but with a strong stylistic matchup against an undersized Nick Diaz, the only real question for Silva is if he is still in good enough shape to take fights with high-level opponents.
The Question
How good is Anderson Silva these days?
Analysis
I broke down Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz a few months ago. Basically, Silva has the edge standing (given his reach, knockout power and more diverse arsenal) and on the ground (given his sizable size advantage). However, there is legitimate cause for concern when it comes to his physical state, from his busted leg to standard cardio and timing issues that traditionally plague fighters 13 months removed from the cage.
If he has held up, this should be a fairly decisive win for him. If he does not stomp Diaz, however, his future in the sport will become murkier than ever.
Can Nick Diaz Overcome a Rough Stylistic Matchup?
9 of 10
The Fight: Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz
The Real Fight: Nick Diaz vs. A Stylistic Mismatch
The Stakes
Nick Diaz has an above-average boxing game, high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu and inimitable cardio. He does not, however, have a history of success against formidable counter strikers. He also does not have a demonstrated ability to make adjustments in his approach mid-fight. That, on paper, spells doom against The Spider.
The Question
Can Nick Diaz overcome a rough stylistic matchup?
Analysis
As you likely gathered from the previous slide, Diaz is likely poised for a rough go against Silva. Those sorts of fights, whether against a superior technical striker like Carlos Condit or a high-level wrestler like Georges St-Pierre, have traditionally gone poorly for Diaz. If the Guardian of Stockton can't show us something new, it's hard to imagine him winning this fight without Father Time mugging Silva in the parking lot.
Does This Fight Have Any Title Ramifications?
10 of 10
The Fight: Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz
The Real Fight: Drawing Power vs. Hang-ups
The Stakes
As with any given event, UFC President Dana White is playing the "title relevance" card in order to manufacture hype. While in most cases (like this one), it is worth dismissing out of hand, the legitimate drawing power of both main event fighters makes 2015 title shots a legitimate possibility. That said, there are legitimate concerns with both men when it comes to title shots.
The Question
Does this fight have any title ramifications?
Analysis
The UFC prioritizes potential buyrates above all else when it comes to title shots, and there is little question that Diaz and Silva represent two of the biggest names at 170 and 185 pounds today. However, there are serious concerns regarding both men's future and place in the sport that makes it odd to consider them having another shot at UFC gold.
For Silva, that would be his iffy physical state and the two established losses to Chris Weidman on his resume. For Diaz, that would be his penchant folksy ramblings and inability to stick to the UFC's script (which is made even more inconvenient at a time where the UFC is dealing with major sponsorship deals and a class-action lawsuit).
For the first time in a while, it is unclear what the UFC will do in two of its bigger divisions. I'm excited to see what happens.
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