UFC 185 Results: Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 62

UFC 185 is in the books. The results are as follows:

• Rafael dos Anjos defeats Anthony Pettis by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
• Joanna Jedrzejczyk defeats Carla Esparza by TKO at 4:17 of the second round
• Johny Hendricks defeats Matt Brown by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Alistair Overeem defeats Roy Nelson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Henry Cejudo defeats Chris Cariaso by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Ross Pearson defeats Sam Stout by KO at 1:33 of the second round
• Elias Theodorou defeats Roger Narvaez by TKO at 4:07 in the second round
• Beneil Dariush defeats Daron Cruickshank via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:48 of the second round
• Jared Rosholt defeats Josh Copeland by TKO at 3:12 of the third round
• Ryan Benoit defeats Sergio Pettis by TKO at 1:32 of the second round
• Joseph Duffy defeats Jake Lindsey by TKO at 1:47 of the first round
• Germaine de Randamie defeats Larissa Pacheco by TKO at 2:02 of the second round

Next up? UFC Fight Night 62 on March 21.

The UFC continues its recent tradition of delivering weak Fight Nights with this foray into Brazil. Fight Night 62 is headlined with an unremarkable welterweight bout between veteran Brazilian jiu-jitsu player Demian Maia and unheralded prospect Ryan LaFlare. While there are some old and new faces worth keeping an eye on, intrigue is tough to find on this card.

So what should you watch out for over the next week? Click on, readers!

Can Gilbert Burns Keep Things Rolling?

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The Fight: Gilbert Burns vs. Alex Oliveira
The Real Fight: Gilbert Burns vs. Not Josh Thomson

The Stakes

Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout Gilbert Burns is on the fast track to UFC stardom. The very fast track, in fact.

How fast? Fast enough that the UFC was setting him (a Brazilian) up to face fringe Top 10 lightweight Josh Thomson in his third fight with the promotion (which is actually in Brazil). That speaks volumes about how good the UFC's matchmakers think he is, that they would actually go against their drive to set up talented Brazilians with honest-to-goodness jobbers.

Unfortunately, Thomson withdrew from the fight and was replaced with newcomer Alex Oliveira. That puts Burns in an awkward, no-win situation. One he still seems capable of overcoming.

The Question

Can Gilbert Burns keep things rolling?

Analysis

This situation stinks for Burns. While Thomson's stock isn't nearly as strong as it was back when he upset Nate Diaz, he is still a high-level lightweight. A win over the Strikeforce staple would have blown the doors open for a jump up to top-level competition.

Alas, that opportunity is no longer in the cards. If he can overcome Oliveira without much trouble, there is a chance he may get another shot at The Punk. If he can't, though, maybe the 28-year-old needs a bit more time.

Does Shayna Baszler Have Anything Left?

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The Fight: Amanda Nunes vs. Shayna Baszler
The Real Fight: Shayna Baszler vs. Time

The Stakes

Shayna Baszler was once one of the biggest names in women's MMA. Now, her future in the sport is unclear. 

While she was the odds-on favorite to win The Ultimate Fighter Season 18, she came up short against eventual winner Julianna Pena. Then, in her official UFC debut, she was flat-out beaten down by Bethe Correia. Now, with her status as "UFC fighter" on the line, she needs to come up big against a potentially formidable opponent in Amanda Nunes.

The Question

Does Shayna Baszler have anything left?

Analysis

Baszler will most certainly be mentioned by name when the books about the history of women's MMA are written. She has been present for many of the major milestones and has appeared on the women's roster for most of the major promotions that have had one. However, with a 1-3 record since 2010, it is unclear where she stacks up in the sport today.

A win against Nunes would establish her as a legitimate factor in the division. A loss, however, could punch her ticket back to Invicta.

How Good Is Amanda Nunes?

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The Fight: Amanda Nunes vs. Shayna Baszler
The Real Fight: Amanda Nunes vs. The Hump

The Stakes

Amanda Nunes had fans on the edge of their seats at UFC 178 when she threatened to shake the women's bantamweight division to its core by defeating Cat Zingano. Alas, it was not meant to be. Zingano mounted an impressive comeback, winning the fight with a third-round TKO and sending Nunes to the middle of the pack. Now she needs to reassert herself as someone who can hang with the division's top dogs by dominating Shayna Baszler.

The Question

How good is Amanda Nunes?

Analysis

Nunes has flashed some legitimate skills in the UFC...but only against mid-level competition. While the Brazilian has posted solid wins against the likes of Sheila Gaff and Germaine de Randamie, she has been consistently beaten down by above-average competition. With her youth and athleticism, there is cause for optimism with Nunes, but if she can't beat Baszler decisively, 2015 almost certainly won't be her year...and the same goes for 2016...and 2017.

Can Anybody Involved in Erick Silva vs. Josh Koscheck Really Be Called a Winner?

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The Fight: Erick Silva vs. Josh Koscheck
The Real Fight: Mediocre Fighter vs. Broken-Down Veteran

The Stakes

Just a few weeks ago, Josh Koscheck was on the wrong end of a beatdown in his fight with Jake Ellenberger. While it seemed like that would be the end of his career, a Ben Saunders injury quite possibly added one more chapter to his UFC career. Now, the battle-worn veteran looks to knock off the UFC's very own Roman Reigns, Erick Silva.

The Question

Can anybody involved in Erick Silva vs. Josh Koscheck really be called a winner?

Analysis

Not a pro wrestling fan? Well, trust me, comparing Reigns to Silva is pretty spot-on. 

Seriously though, neither Koscheck nor "the Brazilian Bieber" is doing all that well these days. Koscheck couldn't buy a win if he tried, and Silva would probably be jobbing for Rousimar Palhares in WSOF if the UFC wasn't so committed to keeping him around. 

For Silva, a win does nothing to advance him beyond gatekeeper status. For Koscheck, a win would be a bit of respite but would do little in terms of prolonging his career.

Where Does Ryan LaFlare Stack Up in the Division?

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The Fight: Demian Maia vs. Ryan LaFlare
The Real Fight: Ryan LaFlare vs. Too Much, Too Soon(?)

The Stakes

Ryan LaFlare may be undefeated through 11 fights. He may be a ranked UFC welterweight. He may be set up in the first UFC main event of his career. But he most certainly is not a known commodity.

With John Howard as the biggest trophy on his mantel and a year separating him from that win, it is unclear where LaFlare fits into the division. This fight against the formidable, but most certainly beatable, Brazilian veteran Demian Maia will go a long way toward determining that.

The Question

Where does Ryan LaFlare stack up in the division?

Analysis

Maia is a well-known commodity. His serviceable striking and high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu, coupled with his unholy left-handedness, make him a tricky test for anybody who isn't an elite-level fighter. While LaFlare has gone through 11 opponents to this point in his career with little trouble, it is tough to buy into him being a fighter on par with Jake Shields, Rory MacDonald or anybody else who has managed to overcome Maia.

If LaFlare can beat Maia, it will vault him straight into the Top 10, but quite frankly, that feels unlikely.

What Is the UFC's Long-Term Fight Night Plan?

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The Fight: Demian Maia vs. Ryan LaFlare
The Real Fight: Card Quality vs. Growing Schedule

The Stakes

UFC 185 was the first in a stretch of three pay-per-views sporting two title fights. Not coincidentally, this is the fourth less-than-stacked UFC Fight Night we've gotten in a row. 

2014 was defined by the UFC's futile attempt to inject intrigue into every single event, but 2015 has seen pay-per-views favored in a big way. That trend, however, will be reversed following Fight Night 62. While it is easy to look forward to cards like Fight Night 63, one has to wonder if decadent shows like those will damage the UFC's ability to deliver on for-pay cards. 

The Question

What Is the UFC's long-term Fight Night plan?

Analysis

I talked at length about the costs and benefits of the UFC's recent focus on pay-per-views ahead of UFC Fight Night 60. The long and short? There simply aren't enough compelling fights to spread across 45 events, and it should be the pay-per-views that get priority in those situations.

That said, looking over upcoming Fight Night cards generates emotions other than dread. Fight Night 63, 66 and 68 are pretty darn solid. UFC on Fox 15 is great, and not just because both headliners can crush your self-esteem with their handsomeness. 

While that's all well and good, UFC 188 is not shaping up particularly well, and UFC 189 is a complete mystery outside its two title fights (which, of course, are anything but guaranteed to happen). Hardcore fans should closely watch how those cards shape up to see if the UFC has found the perfect way to balance its hectic schedule, or if things are shifting back to what we saw in 2014.