UFC Fight Night 65 Results: Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 66
UFC Fight Night 65 is in the books. The results are as follows (results c/o Bleacher Report's live blogger, Craig Amos):
Fight Night 65 Main Card
- Stipe Miocic def. Mark Hunt, TKO (Round 5, 2:47)
- Robert Whittaker def. Brad Tavares, knockout (Round 1, 0:44)
- Sean O'Connell def. Anthony Perosh, TKO (Round 1, 0:56)
- James Vick def. Jake Matthews, submission (Round 1, 4:53)
Fight Pass Prelims
- Dan Hooker def. Hatsu Hioki, knockout (Round 2, 4:13)
- Kyle Noke def. Jonavin Webb, split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
- Sam Alvey def. Dan Kelly, TKO (Round 1, 0:49)
- Bec Rawlings def. Lisa Ellis, submission (Round 1, 4:09)
- Bradley Scott def. Dylan Andrews, submission (Round 2, 4:54)
- Alex Chambers def. Kailin Curran, submission (Round 3, 3:15)
- Brendan O'Reilly def. Vik Grujic, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ben Nguyen def. Alptekin Ozkilic, TKO (Round 1, 4:59)
Next up? Fight Night 66.
While Fight Night 65 was stacked with Australians, Fight Night 66 showcases as much Southeast Asian talent as the UFC could muster. If that isn't your cup of tea, there is a strong pair of bouts atop the card in Gegard Mousasi vs. Costas Philippou and Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber.
So what is there to look forward to next week in this early-morning card? Find out here!
Will Any of the Chinese Fighters Put on a Strong Performance?
1 of 6
The Fight: Nolan Ticman vs. Yao Zhikui, Ning Guanyou vs. Royston Wee, Zhang Lipeng vs. Kajan Johnson, etc.
The Real Fight: Chinese Fighters vs. Winning Fights
The Stakes
The UFC has failed to find any legitimate Chinese MMA talent, but that isn't killing their dreams of one day putting on a show in Beijing. With four Chinese fighters set to appear on this card, the UFC will be watching closely, fingers crossed, hoping against hope that somebody winds up being good enough to build a push around.
The Question
Will Any of the Chinese Fighters Put on a Strong Performance?
Analysis
China has a great deal of potential in terms of its established combat sports programs. It is a player at the international level in both wrestling and judo and, theoretically, that means there should be at least a few fighters in China that can hang with mid-level MMA talent. The UFC, however, just hasn't found a fighter that could be reasonably favored against any level of competition.
TUF: China has not panned out especially well, with all alumni who have stuck around in the promotion currently coming off losses. The various other fighters they signed, similarly, have failed to find their footing outside the Asian regional scene.
Once again, the UFC has an opportunity to appraise their contracted talent from the world's most populous nation. Once again, it's probable their findings will be less-than-satisfactory.
Will Korean Fighters Continue to Impress?
2 of 6
The Fight: Tae-Hyun Bang vs. Jon Tuck, Phillipe Nover vs. Yui-Chul Nam, Hyun-Gyu Lim vs. Neil Magny
The Real Fight: UFC vs. Irony
The Stakes
The UFC may have its heart set on China, but when it comes to Asian talent, Korea is the pound-for-pound best right now. With the UFC finally planning to push into the high-upside market, #TheTimeIsNow for fighters like Tae-Hyun Bang, Yui-Chul Nam and Hyun-Gyu Lim to make a name for themselves.
The Question
Will Korean Fighters Continue to Impress?
Analysis
Dong-Hyun Kim's title run may have been stifled and Chan-Sung Jung may be done with MMA for the time being, but Korea is still a hoppin' spot for MMA. Bang and Lim are both coming off knockout wins, and Nam is coming off a slobberknocker opposite Kazuki Tokudome. For fans, these will likely be fun, scrappy, fast-paced fights. For the UFC, this is a chance for some of their more talented footholds to shine.
Will Mark Munoz's Career Have a Happy Ending?
3 of 6
The Fight: Mark Munoz vs. Luke Barnatt
The Real Fight: Mark Munoz vs. Going Out on His Back
The Stakes
Win or lose, Mark Munoz is hanging up his gloves after his fight with Luke Barnatt. It's a logical move, given his age, prolonged losing streak and endless list of injuries. The question now is if his career will have a Chris Lytle ending or something a bit more...Chuck Liddell.
The Question
Will Mark Munoz's Career Have a Happy Ending?
Analysis
In true professional wrestling fashion, the UFC is putting Munoz in the cage opposite a young gun who could use a little bit of the rub. Luke Barnatt, theoretically, is a beatable opponent for Munoz. The British striker hasn't really had his wrestling chops tested but, following his loss to an undersized Roan Carneiro, it's unclear if Munoz is capable of beating any UFC-caliber talent.
Regardless, Munoz is a consummate professional and one of the sport's good guys. MMA is worse off without him.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Which Middleweight Will Continue Their Comeback?
4 of 6
The Fight: Gegard Mousasi vs. Costas Philippou
The Real Fight: Inconsistent Veteran vs. Inconsistent Veteran
The Stakes
Gegard Mousasi and Costas Philippou have both gotten deceptively close to middleweight title shots in recent years. Both, however, were emphatically slapped down. Now they must remind UFC fans and matchmakers that they are top-10 players by scoring a big win against a fellow veteran.
The Question
Which Middleweight Will Continue Their Comeback?
Analysis
Mousasi and Philippou share recent losses from elite-level middleweights but have since bounced back with impressive wins over solid competition. They still have plenty left in the gas tank and, with their established body of work, could hypothetically wind up right back in the thick of title contention by year's end. A loss, however, would be a catastrophic setback.
This is a high-stakes fight that should be quite the treat for fans.
Will Frankie Edgar Continue to Dominate?
5 of 6
The Fight: Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber
The Real Fight: Frankie Edgar vs. Stopping
The Stakes
Since losing to Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar has been on an absolute tear, dominating Charles Oliveira, finishing BJ Penn and manhandling Cub Swanson. Edgar is, arguably, better than ever and now finds himself in something of an odd fight against the always-tough Urijah Faber. If he can handle the California Kid as effortlessly as he has his other recent opponents, it would be hard to argue with an Edgar title shot at whatever division he dang well feels like.
The Question
Will Frankie Edgar Continue to Dominate?
Analysis
On paper, this is a slam dunk for Edgar, but Faber has never been an easy out. The only fighter to utterly dominate Faber in a a bout was Aldo when they faced off back at WEC 48. If Edgar can handle Faber as he did Swanson or Penn, it would rank among the greatest performances of his career.
Does Urijah Faber Stand a Chance Here?
6 of 6
The Fight: Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber
The Real Fight: Urijah Faber vs. A Stylistic Nightmare
The Stakes
Urijah Faber is back at 145 pounds for a high-risk, low-reward bout with Frankie Edgar and, quite frankly, it is hard to imagine the California Kid taking this one. This is a rough pairing for Faber, and that could work against him in the always-shallow, always-unpopular bantamweight division.
The Question
Does Urijah Faber Stand a Chance Here?
Analysis
With his good buddy TJ Dillashaw holding bantamweight gold and the UFC unwilling to make a fight "worth their while," there aren't too many palatable fights out there for the former WEC poster boy...but man, this is just about as bad as it gets for him. While Edgar and Faber are fairly comparable in terms of their grappling skills, Edgar's striking seems to be on another level.
Here's hoping Faber flashes some new skills for this one. Otherwise, a lopsided decision win for Edgar feels like a certainty.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
