UFC Fight Night 67 Results: Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 68
UFC Fight Night 67 is in the books. The results are as follows, courtesy of Bleacher Report's live blog czar, Craig Amos:
Main Card on Fox Sports 1
- Carlos Condit def. Thiago Alves, TKO (Round 2, 5:00)
- Charles Oliveira def. Nik Lentz, submission (Round 3, 1:10)
- Alex Oliveira def. K.J. Noons, submission (Round 1, 2:51)
- Francimar Barroso def. Ryan Jimmo, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Francisco Trinaldo def. Norman Parke, split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Darren Till def. Wendall Oliveira, knockout (Round 2, 1:37)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Rony Jason def. Damon Jackson, submission (Round 1, 3:31)
- Jussier Formiga def. Wilson Reis, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Nicolas Dalby def. Elizeu Zaleski, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Mirsad Bektic def. Lucas Martins, TKO (Round 2, 0:30)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Juliana Lima def. Ericka Almeida, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)
- Tom Breese def. Luiz Dutra, TKO (Round 1, 4:58)
Next up? UFC Fight Night 68 on June 6.
The scuttling of Daniel Cormier vs. Ryan Bader has stripped a once-solid of most of its name value. Still, the card contains a deceptive amount of talent including lower-weight class standouts Alex Caceres, Dustin Poirier and Joe Soto, as well as two interesting heavyweight bouts. Oh, and it has Dan Henderson possibly stepping into the cage for the last time opposite Tim Boetsch. That's interesting, too.
So what are the biggest questions entering a new week? Find out here!
Can Brian Ebersole Start a Winning Streak?
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The Fight: Brian Ebersole vs. Omari Akhmedov
The Real Fight: Brian Ebersole vs. Getting Over
The Stakes
After having a dark-horse run to contention nixed by back-to-back losses, Brian Ebersole got back into the win column with a squeaker over John Howard. Now, at 34 years old, the veteran needs to start breaking off big, emphatic wins as soon as possible if he wants to make that final run at UFC gold.
The Question
Can Brian Ebersole start a winning streak?
Analysis
When Ebersole is on his game, he is one of the most hyperviolent fighters in MMA. More than 15 years and 60 fights deep into his career he still finds himself on the outside looking in on the title picture, but it only takes one win to endear yourself to the public. He needs to get that signature win soon if he wants to gain momentum toward a title shot.
Which Heavyweight Will Remain a Fringe Player?
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The Fight: Shawn Jordan vs. Derrick Lewis
The Real Fight: Shawn Jordan vs. Derrick Lewis (Yeah, This Is Pretty Straightforward)
The Stakes
Both Shawn Jordan and Derrick Lewis have skated in and out of relevance in the heavyweight division. One of them won't be doing that for much longer, though. The winner will return to the fringe of relevance, while the loser will get stuck on preliminary cards and "off" events for the foreseeable future.
The Question
Which heavyweight will remain a fringe player?
Analysis
Both men, to this point, have spent their UFC careers just outside the limelight. Sometimes that faint glow was on the Fox Sports 1 leg of a pay-per-view. Sometimes it was on the bottom end of a Fight Night main card.
The winner of this fight will maintain a holding pattern. The loser, unfortunately, will likely crash onto Fight Pass.
Which Bantamweight(s) Will Return to Relevance?
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The Fight: Francisco Rivera vs. Alex Caceres, Joe Soto vs. Anthony Birchak
The Real Fight: Solid Fighters vs. Poor Booking
The Stakes
Francisco Rivera, Alex Caceres and Joe Soto all find themselves in a similar situation. After building up solid winning streaks, they became sacrificial lambs for the division's top names. Now, the three men need to put in strong performances in order to recapture the relevance they had before the UFC threw them to the wolves.
The Question
Which bantamweight(s) will return to relevance?
Analysis
A shallow division can hurt a champion's credibility and a promotion's bottom line, but none are stung so deeply as the mid-tier talent. Whether it is Soto falling into a doomed-to-fail title shot or Rivera and Caceres being fed to Urijah Faber, 135-pound fighters rarely get the opportunity to develop properly.
One, maybe two, of these fighters will manage to get their feet back under them. The fact that the UFC put them in this position, though, just stinks.
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Is Dustin Poirier a Legitimate Lightweight?
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The Fight: Dustin Poirier vs. Yancy Medeiros
The Real Fight: Dustin Poirier vs. The Hump
The Stakes
Dustin Poirier was a staple of the featherweight Top 10 for years but could never get over the contention hump. He successfully returned to the lightweight division in April by roughing up Carlos Diego Ferreira, but the questions surrounding his viability at 155 pounds remain. However, if he can cruise through a game Yancy Medeiros, it will be time to re-evaluate Poirier's standing in the division.
The Question
Is Dustin Poirier a legitimate lightweight?
Analysis
Poirier says he moved from featherweight to lightweight because of the disruptive nature of cutting weight on his actual ability to have a camp. That said, he most certainly reaped the rewards of fighting at 145 pounds.
As I broke down in March, "his weaknesses (spotty wrestling, mediocre striking technique) will be amplified by moving up in weight, while his strengths (chain-grappling, solid power in both hands) will be far less profound. It's tough to tell what benefits he could find in a new weight class."
Those suspicions remain, but the greatest revenge an athlete can have upon doubters is success. If he looks as good against Medeiros as he did against Ferreira, it might be time to start regarding him as a player at 155 pounds.
Which Heavyweight Will Assert Himself as a Legitimate Top 10 Fighter?
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The Fight: Ben Rothwell vs. Matt Mitrione
The Real Fight: Ben Rothwell, Matt Mitrione vs. Top 10 Standing
The Stakes
Two years ago, it was unclear if Matt Mitrione and Ben Rothwell were set to spend the rest of their careers as mid-level steppingstones. Now, they face off with a spot in the Top 10 on the line, with the winner finally becoming a legitimate contender.
The Question
Which heavyweight will assert himself as a legitimate Top 10 fighter?
Analysis
Mitrione and Rothwell are tough, scrappy fighters but have never shown they would move past that. The fates, however, have conspired in their favor...and they've also gotten a bit better in the cage. Whoever wins this fight will wind up in, or brushing up on, the Top 10.
Is This Dan Henderson's Last Stand?
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The Fight: Tim Boetsch vs. Dan Henderson
The Real Fight: Dan Henderson vs. Father Time (and Low-T)
The Stakes
Dan Henderson is an MMA legend, but as we see far too often, MMA legends rarely have a happy ending to their competitive career. With a record of 1-5 since his 2011 barnburner with Mauricio Rua, few would have regretted him hanging up his gloves years ago. Now, looking every day of 44 years old, he finds himself in a treadmill fight against an unremarkable Tim Boetsch.
The Question
Is this Dan Henderson's last stand?
Analysis
Not every MMA story has a Mark Munoz ending.
Even while using testosterone replacement therapy, Hendo was visibly slower and smaller than he was during his time in Strikeforce. His fight with Daniel Cormier was sad to watch, and at least for this writer, it is hard to get over the fact that Gegard Mousasi nearly beat him blind in one eye.
Boetsch marks an undeniable low point for Hendo's UFC career. While The Barbarian is a solid fighter ranked at No. 13 in the middleweight division, this is not a "money" or "legacy" fight for Hendo. This is a no-win bout for that does nothing for him but function as a sure paycheck. That's sad, and hopefully he isn't in a position where he actually needs to take these kinds of fights.
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