UFC Fight Night 60 Results: Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 61
UFC Fight Night 60 is in the books. The results are as follows:
- Benson Henderson defeats Brandon Thatch via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:58 of the fourth round
- Max Holloway defeats Cole Miller by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Neil Magny defeats Kiichi Kunimoto via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:22 of the third round
- Dan Kelly defeats Patrick Walsh by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Kevin Lee defeats Michel Prazeres by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
- Ray Borg defeats Chris Kelades via submission (kimura) at 2:56 of the third round
- Efrain Escudero defeats Rodrigo de Lima by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Chas Skelly defeats Jim Alers by TKO at 4:59 of the second round
- Zach Makovsky defeats Tim Elliot by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- James Moontasri defeats Cody Pfister via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:49 of the second round
Next up? UFC Fight Night 61 on February 22.
While this card features a relatively silly main event in Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva and the event takes place in the Mecca of naked squash matches, Brazil, UFC Fight Night 61 boasts a great deal of talent. Dotted across the card are rising stars like Jessica Andrade and Rustam Khabilov, and the co-main event features surging lightweights Edson Barboza and Michael Johnson in a critical bout.
So what questions will be answered next Sunday? Find out right here!
Will Jessica Andrade Muddle the Women's Bantamweight Title Picture?
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The Fight: Jessica Andrade vs. Marion Reneau
The Real Fight: Jessica Andrade vs. Holly Holm, Bethe Correia, Cat Zingano, Miesha Tate and Jessica Eye
The Stakes
For the first time in the entire history of the UFC's women's bantamweight division, there is a legitimate pileup of title contenders. Cat Zingano will get her shot at UFC 184. After that? Miesha Tate, Jessica Eye, Bethe Correia and Holly Holm could all reasonably wind up next in line. If Jessica Andrade wants to maintain her place in that discussion, she will need to win big against Marion Reneau.
The Question
Will Jessica Andrade muddle the women's bantamweight title picture?
Analysis
Andrade is a solid fighter, but the UFC has done her a major disservice by keeping her relegated to small-time, almost off-the-radar Fight Nights. While she is right in the thick of things from a skill perspective, her anonymity has resulted in her being nearly forgotten in the 135-pound shuffle. The only way she can truly jump back into the title discussion will be by beating Reneau in a big way.
When Will People Stop Ignoring Iuri Alcantara?
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The Fight: Iuri Alcantara vs. Frankie Saenz
The Real Fight: Iuri Alcantara vs. Just a Little Bit
The Stakes
Iuri Alcantara has the physical tools and actual skills to compete with the greatest bantamweights in the business. Unfortunately, much like Jessica Andrade, fighting exclusively on Fight Pass has made people forget how good he really is. Now, fighting on his first televised main card since freakin' Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen, he has the chance to shine...at least a little bit.
The Question
When will people start ignoring Iuri Alcantara?
Analysis
The UFC's bantamweight division is truly atrocious. The promotion's "meh" approach to high-profile free agents like Bibiano Fernandes, Marlon Moraes and Tyson Nam has put the division's top dogs into a position where they are forced into taking squash match after squash match.
That said, there is no looking past the fact that Alcantara is a darn good fighter. He is one of the few 135-pounders capable of scoring finishes standing and on the ground and is one of the few fighters in the division on a decent winning streak.
Fans with a keen eye should keep their schedule open to check out Alcantara.
Can Rustam Khabilov Bounce Back from His Submission Loss?
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The Fight: Rustam Khabilov vs. Adriano Martins
The Real Fight: Rustam Khabilov vs. Some Poor, Poor Man (Probably)
The Stakes
Few fighters have made names for themselves as impressively as Rustam Khabilov has. The Dagestani lightweight suplexed his way onto main cards in just two fights and cemented a place in the rankings with a win over Jorge Masvidal. Khabilov put on a strong showing against former lightweight champ Benson Henderson, but a sneaky uppercut led to a stoppage loss.
Now, the up-and-coming Russian finds himself in a dangerous fight against Adriano Martins.
The Question
Can Rustam Khabilov bounce back from his submission loss?
Analysis
Few fighters have as high a ceiling as Khabilov. Think about how dominant Khabib Nurmagomedov has been so far and then imagine him with an even larger arsenal of takedowns. That's what Khabilov could be with a few more tools.
If that thought doesn't have your mouth watering, you might need to start watching another sport.
With what Khabilov has shown so far, the floor on his career is likely a lengthy stay among the division's best. The only thing that could get in the way of that would be a mental trip-up following an ugly loss. Here's hoping he bounces back and stays on course.
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Can Edson Barboza Keep His Streak Going?
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The Fight: Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson
The Real Fight: Edson Barboza vs. A Tough Opponent
The Stakes
Edson Barboza has long danced just outside the title picture, but he has finally, at long last, found himself within reach of a title shot. Another win could easily set him up with a top contender's bout...but he has a big challenge in front of him in the form of Michael Johnson.
The Question
Can Edson Barboza keep his streak going?
Analysis
Barboza achieved overnight stardom with his famous spin-kick victory over Terry Etim but lost it just as quickly when Jamie Varner knocked him out. While his talent and athleticism have never been in doubt, things need to come together perfectly for fighters to get a shot in the super-crowded lightweight division...and Barboza's stars are very, very close to the proper alignment.
If he can beat Johnson in anything close to convincing fashion, he will be in great position for a late 2015 or early 2016 title shot in terms of rankings, resume and timing (assuming Anthony Pettis doesn't tweak something and end up on the shelf for another 10 to 12 months).
What Will Surface on Michael Johnson's Mysterious Domestic Violence Incident?
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The Fight: Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson
The Real Fight: Michael Johnson vs. Handling Problems Like a Grownup
The Stakes
After three ho-hum years following a decent run on The Ultimate Fighter, Michael Johnson vaulted into the lightweight rankings by demolishing Joe Lauzon. Then, he jumped into the title picture by knocking out Gleison Tibau and effortlessly outpointing Melvin Guillard. Then, he disappeared for a while. The UFC eventually announced that this was because of a suspension for a "domestic dispute" and pretty much left it at that.
After six weeks filled with big events and a heck of a lot of drug test failures, Johnson's time in the spotlight has come...and hopefully, some hard questions finally get asked.
The Question
What will surface on Michael Johnson's mysterious domestic violence incident?
Analysis
2014 was a bad year in so many ways, but by far the worst part of it from an ethical standpoint was the utterly disheartening number of domestic violence incidents that plagued the sport and the UFC's nonchalant approach to the despicable things their fighters were being accused of on a monthly basis. You can read my summary of the year's lowlights here.
While we know the long and short of the alleged misdeeds of other fighters like Anthony Johnson, Thiago Silva and Abel Trujillo, there have been no serious revelations regarding Johnson. That is likely to change, and depending on how bad things shake out to be, the UFC might wind up with even more egg on its face and even less credibility in its push for mainstream acceptance.
Does Antonio Silva Have Anything Left in Him?
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The Fight: Antonio Silva vs. Frank Mir
The Real Fight: Antonio Silva vs. Life Without TRT
The Stakes
Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva was fighting for the belt less than two years ago. Now, he might just be fighting for his job. With a 2-4 (1) record over his last seven bouts, Silva's career straits are already quite dire. What's more, precedent suggests things are about to get even worse.
The Question
Does Antonio Silva have anything left in him?
Analysis
The real-life, out-of-competition struggles of life without TRT are incredibly daunting. The in-competition struggles, however, have proved to be nearly insurmountable. From Nate Marquardt to Dan Henderson, few fighters have had success after transitioning off TRT. Silva is no exception, with a 0-1 record since getting clean.
It is hard to rationalize any fighter advancing to 2-5 (1) over an eight-fight stretch and keeping his job in the UFC. If he loses to Frank Mir, who has not been in the win column since 2011, it would become almost impossible.
Can Frank Mir Still Compete with Serviceable Heavyweights?
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The Fight: Antonio Silva vs. Frank Mir
The Real Fight: Frank Mir vs. Losing
The Stakes
With Frank Mir riding a four-fight losing streak, it is hard to look at this bout as anything but do-or-die for the former heavyweight champ. He needs a win here. If he cannot pull it off, a pink slip or retirement is almost certainly in store for the veteran.
The Question
Can Frank Mir still compete with serviceable heavyweights?
Analysis
Win or lose, Mir's legacy is already written in pen, with "holy crap" wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Tim Sylvia and "I think he's dead" losses to Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. A win that doesn't involve visibly snapping a limb will not get included in his career highlight reel. A loss, no matter how it comes about, will be shrugged off as completely expected.
The only thing that will change based on this fight is how soon Mir hangs it up. Hopefully, when that day comes, it is more Genki Sudo and less Cung Le.
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