UFC Fight Night 63 Results: Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 64

UFC Fight Night 63 is in the books. The results are as follows:

• Chad Mendes defeats Ricardo Lamas by TKO at 2:45 of the first round
• Al Iaquinta defeats Jorge Masvidal by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
• Michael Chiesa defeats Mitch Clarke by unanimous decision (29-26, 29-26, 29-28)
• Julianna Pena defeats Milana Dudieva by TKO at 3:59 of the first round
• Clay Guida defeats Robbie Peralta by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Dustin Poirier defeats Carlos Diego Ferreira by KO at 3:45 of the first round
• Liz Carmouche defeats Lauren Murphy by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Alexander Yakovlev defeats Gray Maynard by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Timothy Johnson defeats Shamil Abdurahimov by TKO at 4:57 of the first round
• Ron Stallings defeats Justin Jones by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Next up? UFC Fight Night 64 on April 11.

At long last, the UFC has found its way to Poland. Unfortunately, while the UFC likes to put its best foot forward for these sorts of debuts, Fight Night 64 is an anemic card.

With the weak headliner of Mirko Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga 2, backed up with few recognizable names for anything but the hardest-cored fans, Fight Night 64 is one of the worst on-paper cards of the year.

So what topics are worth discussing this week? Find out here.

How Will the UFC's Poland Debut Go?

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Fight: N/A
The Real Fight: UFC vs. Good First Impressions

The Stakes

After quietly scrapping a show in 2014, the UFC has finally gotten into Poland, a potentially lucrative market with a sizable crop of talent just waiting to be harvested. Now, the promotion has to make a strong first impression with the Polish MMA fans. Unfortunately, a weak card and an iffy assortment of local talent may set it up for a bad first showing.

The Question 

How will the UFC's Poland debut go?

Analysis

Poland is home to a number of talented fighters. From Marcin Held to Marcin Tybura to all the top dogs in KSW, more than a few dudes are power players in their divisions. Unfortunately, the majority of those fighters lie outside the UFC.

While it struck gold with the new strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, the majority of Polish talent still lies outside the Zuffa umbrella. The so-so main card and ghastly lineup of prelims likely hold little appeal for the casual MMA fan, local or otherwise. Any hype will revolve around the novelty of the UFC finally arriving in Poland, and it will be interesting to see how far that takes this card at the box office.

Is the UFC Fast-Tracking Joanne Calderwood to the Belt?

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Fight: Joanne Calderwood vs. Maryna Moroz
The Real Fight: Joanne Calderwood vs. Another Seemingly Overmatched Opponent

The Stakes

Joanne Calderwood already owns one of the longest (official) winning streaks in the UFC's strawweight division. On that alone, she finds herself on the cusp of a title shot...and the UFC doesn't want to risk it. For the second fight in a row, Calderwood is meeting a seemingly overmatched UFC newcomer. While the strength of competition hasn't quite been there of late, she could wind up being the first challenger to Joanna Jedrzejczyk's throne.

The Question 

Is the UFC fast-tracking Joanne Calderwood to the belt?

Analysis

Poland isn't the only new European market the UFC is breaking into in 2015. It's also rushing headlong into Scotland, and Calderwood is easily the best pound-for-pound fighter in the country. With a pre-installed fanbase and a fighting style that is easily accessible, she could be a breakout star for the promotion if she can get through Moroz with ease.

Is Jan Blachowicz Poised to Become a Breakout Star?

The Fight: Jimi Manuwa vs. Jan Blachowicz
The Real Fight: Jan Blachowicz vs. Stiff Competition

The Stakes

One of KSW's first breakout stars, Jan Blachowicz had a strong UFC debut when he blew up fellow European upstart Ilir Latifi. Set to face the always scary Jimi Manuwa, if Blachowicz can notch another impressive win, he may just be a legitimate contender in the making.

The Question 

Is Jan Blachowicz poised to become a breakout star?

Analysis

Blachowicz is a unique fighter in a division largely made up of generic ground-and-pounders. Similar to Luke Rockhold, Blachowicz is a legitimate finisher standing and on the mat, with a set of physical tools that should hold up against elite-level competition. 

Manuwa is one of the most dangerous fighters at 205 pounds, and a win over him is nothing to shrug off. If Blachowicz gets through him unscathed, he will be more than deserving of a shot against a legitimate top-10 opponent.

Is Jimi Manuwa Still as Fearsome as He Was in 2013?

The Fight: Jimi Manuwa vs. Jan Blachowicz
The Real Fight: Jimi Manuwa vs. The Lingering Effects of Alexander Gustafsson

The Stakes

Devastating knockout artist Jimi Manuwa is finally back in the cage but under less-than-ideal circumstances. Missing in action for more than a year due to a thrashing from Swedish contender Alexander Gustafsson, the British slugger looks to regain the dark-horse contender status he achieved last year.

The Question 

Is Jimi Manuwa still as fearsome as he was in 2013?

Analysis

If you haven't paid close attention to Manuwa over the last few years, you ought to look up some of his fights in England. He has legitimate fight-stopping power in every limb and, remarkably, won his first three bouts in the UFC via injury or doctor stoppage. The man was a serious threat to Gustafsson when they fought, and he is a tough out for anybody in the division...or at least, he was.

Losses can be a tricky thing, especially with fighters who started late like Manuwa. It's possible he will come back with all the ferocity he displayed in 2013. It's also possible that he will check out after being knocked back in line for the first time in his career. Here's hoping he's back and better than ever.

Does Mirko Cro Cop Have Anything Left?

Anonymous/Associated Press

The Fight: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
The Real Fight: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Third Chances

The Stakes

In an odd twist, Mirko Cro Cop is once again a UFC fighter. While the Croatian still brings a great deal of name value to the cage, it remains unknown as to whether he is capable of knocking off UFC-caliber opponents. If he looks bad against fellow aging veteran Gabriel Gonzaga, this might pan out to be one of the worst signings in UFC history.

The Question

Does Mirko Cro Cop have anything left?

Analysis

While UFC fans' last memory of Cro Cop was a demolition delivered by Roy Nelson, the Pride legend actually rebounded well after returning to the Eurasian scene, posting a 3-1 record in MMA and a 7-1 record in kickboxing. Does that count for much? Maybe, maybe not, but it showed that he is still capable of beating folks on the big stage. 

That said, there is no ignoring the futility that defined Cro Cop's previous UFC runs, which included a 4-6 record and five scary stoppage losses against less-than-elite competition. It will be interesting to see if he has actually regained some of the skills that once made him the scariest striker in Pride, but it's hard to believe that's the case.