UFC 190 Results: Burning Questions Heading into UFC Fight Night 73
UFC 190 is in the books. The results are as follows (c/o Bleacher Report's very own Craig Amos):
UFC 190 Main Card
- Ronda Rousey def. Bethe Correia, knockout (Round 1, 0:34)
- Mauricio Rua def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Glaico Franca def. Fernando Bruno, submission (Round 3, 4:46)
- Reginaldo Vieira def. Dileno Lopes, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Stefan Struve def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Antonio Silva def. Soa Palelei, TKO (Round 2, 0:41)
- Claudia Gadelha def. Jessica Aguilar, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Demian Maia def. Neil Magny, submission (Round 2, 2:52)
- Patrick Cummins def. Rafael Cavalcante, TKO (Round 3, 0:45)
- Warlley Alves def. Nordine Taleb, submission (Round 2, 4:11)
- Iuri Alcantara def. Leandro Issa, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Vitor Miranda def. Clint Hester, TKO (Round 2, 2:38)
- Guido Cannetti def. Hugo Viana, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Next up? The sneaky-good UFC Fight Night 73.
While UFC 190 was rife with veterans, Fight Night 73 is packed with hot youngsters and newcomers from top to bottom. Not only that, but there are more than a few title-relevant bouts, particularly the high-stakes headlining fights, Michael Johnson vs. Beneil Dariush and Ovince Saint Preux vs. Glover Teixeira.
So what should you be looking out for next week? Read on!
Which Female Bantamweight Will Be Forced out of the Title Picture?
1 of 5
The Fight: Sara McMann vs. Amanda Nunes
The Real Fight: Former Contender vs. Hopeful Contender
The Stakes
Sara McMann has been near the top of the women's bantamweight division for a long while, but she is dangerously close to falling into the middle of the pack following an ugly loss to Miesha Tate. Amanda Nunes has long hovered just outside of relevance but has never been able to work her way into the title picture. Well, one of these ladies will have her position in the division shift in a big way come next Sunday.
The Question
Which Female Bantamweight Will Be Forced out of the Title Picture?
Analysis
This is a do-or-die fight for both McMann and Nunes.
McMann has largely failed to live up to the expectations that come with her Olympic medal. She hasn't been able to break away from being a strict lay-and-prayer the way fellow Olympians like Ben Askren and Henry Cejudo have, which has left her struggling against higher-level competition.
Nunes undeniably has the tools to compete with some of the better 135-pound women, but she hasn't been able to string together the kind of winning streak that will get her any kind of attention. While she has some good names on her resume like Ediane Gomes, Julia Budd and Vanessa Porto, she owns a humble 4-3 record over the last four years.
Both ladies have the potential but don't have the resume. The winner of this fight will be cemented into the women's bantamweight top-five. The loser will be put into a rankings free-fall.
Will Uriah Hall Actually Try and Fight?
2 of 5
The Fight: Uriah Hall vs. Oluwale Bamgbose
The Real Fight: Uriah Hall vs. Some Guy, I Guess
The Stakes
Uriah Hall is back at it again. And by "back at it," I mean he has fallen into that ugly "barely willing to engage" style that almost got him booted out of the UFC in 2013. Nothing gets a pink slip faster than boring, inactive losses, and Hall hasn't garnered enough goodwill to separate himself from those ugly fights against John Howard and Kelvin Gastelum.
If he doesn't bring it and blow away the completely unknown Oluwale Bamgbose, it will officially mark the end of MMA's love affair with the TUF17 standout.
The Question
Will Uriah Hall Actually Try and Fight?
Analysis
Don't feel bad if you don't know who this Bamgbose character is. He's a relative youngster from the east coast regional circuit who hasn't really established himself in any big way (though he is certainly on pace to doing so, given his five knockouts in a row). This is a fight that, theoretically, should be a slam dunk for Hall.
It doesn't feel like it, though. Hall looked dreadful against Rafael Natal, and if he puts on another stinker of a fight, there is a very good chance he doesn't come back.
Can Sam Alvey Keep the Ball Rolling?
3 of 5
The Fight: Derek Brunson vs. Sam Alvey
The Real Fight: Sam Alvey vs. Writing Notes on His Hand
The Stakes
In spite of an ugly loss in his UFC debut, Smile'n Sam Alvey has become one of 2015's breakout stars, courtesy of back-to-back-to-back knockout victories. Set to face the criminally underrated but largely unknown Derek Brunson, Alvey needs to score another big win in order to keep the hype train a'rollin'.
The Question
Can Sam Alvey Keep the Ball Rolling?
Analysis
It's too early to buy into Alvey as a serious contender in any way at this point, but it's hard not to like what he's been showing lately. That said, Brunson is no slouch, and he easily represents the biggest threat of Alvey's UFC career. If Alvey can stifle Brunson's wrestling and score another emphatic win, it might be time to start investing in ol' Sam.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Which Co-Main Eventer Is the Real Deal?
4 of 5
The Fight: Michael Johnson vs. Beneil Dariush
The Real Fight: Rising Lightweight vs. Rising Lightweight
The Stakes
Two of the fastest rising lightweights in the game are booked in this co-main event, as Michael Johnson is set to face Beneil Dariush. Both men are riding four-fight winning streaks over stiff competition, and both men have potential title contention at risk here.
The Question
Which Co-Main Eventer Is the Real Deal?
Analysis
An interesting, sometimes saddening exercise is ranking UFC fighters by how far away from a title shot they are chronologically. Right now, Dariush and Johnson could find themselves reasonably contending for the UFC lightweight title at some point in 2016.
That, of course, assumes they win here. If they lose? That time frame gets pushed back to, probably, 2018.
It's a sad situation, and one only needs to look to former WEC champions Carlos Condit and Anthony Pettis to see how long it can take for an on-paper contender to bounce back from a single competitive loss. Whoever loses this fight will be back to square one, and that is not a good position in this fast-moving division.
Which Main Eventer Is the Real Deal?
5 of 5
The Fight: Glover Teixeira vs. Ovince Saint Preux
The Real Fight: Unknown Commodity vs. Unknown Commodity
The Stakes
Ovince Saint Preux is riding high on back-to-back knockout wins. Glover Teixeira is at the lowest point in his career, following a pair of ugly losses to Jon Jones and Phil Davis. This is a must-win fight for both men, and it's one that could determine the path they take for the rest of their UFC careers.
The Question
Which Main Eventer Is the Real Deal?
Analysis
With his underrated finishing skills, OSP could easily find himself challenging for the UFC light heavyweight strap in 2016. Teixeira? Well, he's in an ugly spot right now, but there have been more than a few fighters to go from colossal bust to greatest threat to dethrone the champ with just one big win.
This is a big fight on a big stage for both big men. Oh, and it should be a fun one. Watch this fight, MMA fans!
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
