UFC 189 Results: Burning Questions Heading into UFC Fight Night 71 and 72

UFC 189 is in the books. The results are as follows (c/o Bleacher Report's UFC 189 play-by-play man, Hunter Homistek):

Main Card (Pay-Per-View, 10 p.m. ET)

• Conor McGregor defeats Chad Mendes via TKO (punches), Round 2, wins interim UFC featherweight title
• Robbie Lawler defeats Rory MacDonald via TKO (punches), Round 5, defends UFC welterweight title
• Jeremy Stephens defeats Dennis Bermudez via knockout (flying knee), Round 3  
• Gunnar Nelson defeats Brandon Thatch via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1
• Thomas Almeida defeats Brad Pickett via knockout (flying knee), Round 2

Prelims (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET) 

• Matt Brown defeats Tim Means via guillotine choke, Round 1
• Alex Garcia defeats Mike Swick by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28) 
• John Howard defeats Cathal Pendred by split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
• Cody Garbrandt defeats Henry Briones by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Early Prelims (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET) 

• Louis Smolka defeats Neil Seery by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Cody Pfister defeats Yosdenis Cedeno by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Next up? Well, a few cards actually, as the UFC goes from Las Vegas to San Diego to Glasgow, Scotland.

Frank Mir and Todd Duffee face off in the Fight Night 71 main event on Wednesday, with a slew of interesting fights including a compelling lightweight tilt between Tony Ferguson and Josh Thomson and a potential women's bantamweight top contender bout between Holly Holm and Marion Reneau.

And that isn't all! UFC Fight Night 72 comes shortly thereafter on Saturday, with Michael Bisping vs. Thales Leites topping a card full of European talent.

So what should you look out for over the coming days? What questions are worth discussing around the water cooler? Find out here!

Who Will Become the Next Women's Bantamweight Top Contender?

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Event: Fight Night 71
The Fight: Holly Holm vs. Marion Reneau
The Real Fight: Plans vs. Variables

The Stakes

With UFC 190 looming just around the corner, Holly Holm and Marion Reneau have the opportunity to establish themselves as the next in line for a shot at the UFC women's bantamweight title. It's a big, exciting fight that could, once again, force fans to question their expectations of hot, fast-rising fighters. 

The Question 

Who will become the next women's bantamweight top contender?

Analysis

If all went according to plan, Bethe Correia wouldn't have been the one to challenge Ronda Rousey. It would have been Holm, the accomplished boxer and Greg Jackson-trained prospect. When she barely edged out the perfectly average Raquel Pennington, however, it quieted the talk that she was ready for a shot at MMA's leading lady.

Then along came Reneau. The Belizean Bruiser thrashed Alexis Dufresne in her UFC debut and demolished Jessica Andrade a month later. That was more than enough to thrust her directly into the title picture, and it will be hard to deny her a shot at Rousey if she adds Holm's name to her resume.

Granted, this isn't a surefire top contender's bout. A threematch between Rousey and longtime rival Miesha Tate and a long-awaited match between Rousey and Cris "Cyborg" Justino are both legitimate possibilities. If this fight ends early, however, the winner could be lined up to face Rousey in early 2016.

Is Tony Ferguson a Top-10 Lightweight?

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Event: Fight Night 71
The Fight: Josh Thomson vs. Tony Ferguson
The Real Fight: Steely Veteran vs. Up-and-Comer

The Stakes

Tony Ferguson has been working his way to the top of the lightweight division at a brisk pace. Riding a five-fight winning streak that includes names like Abel Trujillo and Gleison Tibau, he is poised to break into the top 10 if he can defeat seasoned vet Josh Thomson.  

The Question 

Is Tony Ferguson a top-10 lightweight?

Analysis

Ferguson has been steadily rising up the lightweight ranks, and as time wears on, his established body of work becomes more and more impressive. With his absurd stopping power, there are few foes he can't reasonably beat. 

It is worth noting that Thomson has fallen on hard times because of three questionable split decisions in his last four fights. Despite that, he remains a respected, well-rounded veteran with all-over-the-cage skills. He hasn't been finished since 2004, when he was knocked out by a young Yves Edwards.

If Ferguson can beat Thomson, that is a huge accomplishment. If he can finish him, he may be a legitimate title contender.

Which Heavyweight Will Actually Start Mounting a Comeback?

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Event: Fight Night 71
The Fight: Frank Mir vs. Todd Duffee
The Real Fight: The Past vs. The Guy Who Was Supposed To Be the Future

The Stakes

Frank Mir and Todd Duffee both seemed like they were done. Mir was out for a year following a four-fight losing streak where he was twice viciously knocked out. Duffee's career was all but over because of Parsonage-Turner syndrome.

Then Duffee returned by busting up Anthony Hamilton. Then Mir scored an upset win over Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Now, the two heavyweights almost everyone had written off are set to step into title relevance once again.

The Question

Which heavyweight will actually start mounting a comeback?

Analysis

Crazy, right? Duffee and Mir about to face off in a high-stakes fight?

But hey, this is 2015—a year when Robbie Lawler is the welterweight champion, Andrei Arlovski is possibly going to get a title shot and Kimbo Slice faced Ken Shamrock in a bout that got mainstream media attention. All bets are off.

Two years ago, it didn't feel like either man would be fighting in summer 2015. Today, it's just par for the course.

Can Ilir Latifi Bounce Back?

The Event: Fight Night 72
The Fight: Ilir Latifi vs. Hans Stringer
The Real Fight: Emerging Talent vs. the UFC Light Heavyweight Division 

The Stakes

Ilir Latifi started out as a joke when he was audibled in as a replacement for Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on Fuel TV 9, but he proved himself to be a legitimate top-20 light heavyweight when he posted back-to-back stoppage wins over Cyrille Diabate and Chris Dempsey. Then he lost to Jan Blachowicz.

Now he needs to reassert himself as a top light heavyweight by roughing up Hans Stringer. If he can't, he will be pushed uncomfortably close to the edge of the European regional circuit abyss.

The Question 

Can Ilir Latifi bounce back?

Analysis

Two years ago, the light heavyweight division's talent pool was actually growing. The UFC had found a deep well of talent in Europe, which brought in numerous high-upside prospects and established names. Unfortunately, the chips have fallen in such a way that basically all of them have lost their relevance, save the injured Jimi Manuwa.

Can Joanne Calderwood Get Things Back on Track?

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Event: Fight Night 72
The Fight: Joanne Calderwood vs. Cortney Casey-Sanchez
The Real Fight: Joanne Calderwood vs. Nobody Knows

The Stakes

The UFC made it clear that Joanne Calderwood was being groomed for a strawweight title shot in Scotland. Nobody questioned it, and few people were against the idea of a Calderwood vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk bout going down in Glasgow.

Then the almost completely unknown Maryna Moroz came in and wrecked that idea. Now, Jojo needs to right her ship in order to get right back into the title discussion.

The Question 

Can Joanne Calderwood get things back on track?

Analysis

People are willing to chalk up her loss to Moroz as a fluke. That isn't necessarily fair, of course. Calderwood has a humble 10 fights to her name. She is still very much an unknown commodity and hasn't been demolishing the competition, which shouldn't make a loss to anybody particularly shocking.

That puts Calderwood into a favorable position. If she can rough up the completely unknown Cortney Casey-Sanchez, she will wipe away fans' memories of her loss to Moroz and put herself just a fight or two away from title contention.

Is Thales Leites Legit?

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Event: Fight Night 72
The Fight: Michael Bisping vs. Thales Leites
The Real Fight: Thales Leities vs. the Top 10

The Stakes

Thales Leites has already exceeded expectations in his return to the UFC, but he has the chance to make jaws drop at UFC Fight Night 72. Set to face middleweight stalwart Michael Bisping, if the former Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist can take the win here, he will force his way into the middleweight title picture.

The Question 

Is Thales Leites legit?

Analysis

What more can be said about Leites' rise? It's ridiculous, and it's no less impressive than the resurgence of Matt Brown or Anthony Johnson.

Bisping isn't a title contender, but he is the ultimate gatekeeper for the top 10. If Leites can win, a fight against a Gegard Mousasi or Yoel Romero is in order.