UFC Fight Night 73 Results: Burning Questions Heading into UFC Fight Night 74
UFC Fight Night 73 is in the books. The results are as follows (c/o Bleacher Report play-by-play man Craig Amos):
Main Card on FOX Sports 1
- Glover Teixeira def. Ovince Saint Preux, submission (Round 3, 3:10)
- Beneil Dariush def. Michael Johnson, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Derek Brunson def. Sam Alvey, TKO (Round 1, 2:19)
- Jared Rosholt def. Timothy Johnson, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Amanda Nunes def. Sara McMann, submission (Round 1, 2:53)
- Ray Borg def. Geane Herrera, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Prelims on FOX Sports 2
- Uriah Hall def. Oluwale Bamgbose, TKO (Round 1, 2:32)
- Chris Camozzi def. Tom Watson, unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 29-27)
- Dustin Ortiz def. Willie Gates, TKO (Round 3, 2:58)
- Frankie Saenz def. Sirwan Kakai, split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Jonathan Wilson def. Chris Dempsey, knockout (Round 1, 0:50)
- Marlon Vera def. Roman Salazar, submission (Round 2, 2:15)
- Scott Holtzman def. Anthony Christodoulou, submission (Round 3, 2:40)
Next up? UFC Fight Night 74.
A compelling main event of Max Holloway versus Charles Oliveira is given a disappointingly light amount of backup. Still, some importance can be found in the form of young talents Nikita Krylov, Maryna Moroz, Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Chad Laprise.
What fights are worth looking forward to? Whom should you start reading up on ahead of the next event? Find out here!
Will Maryna Moroz Line Herself Up for a Title Shot?
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The Fight: Maryna Moroz vs. Valerie Letourneau
The Real Fight: Maryna Moroz vs. The UFC's Plans
The Stakes
When Maryna Moroz scored a massive upset win over Joanne Calderwood in April, she turned the UFC's plans for the strawweight division upside down. Currently in limbo, Moroz will have to score a big win over Valerie Letourneau if she wants to take her rightful place in the title hunt.
The Question
Will Maryna Moroz line herself up for a title shot?
Analysis
Opinions on Moroz run the gamut. It's easy to say she's legit, given the fact she has demolished each and every opponent she has faced thus far. It's even easier to say she's overrated, given the fact she has been hopping around Eurasia, facing less-than-name-brand fighters.
Either way, she's an interesting talent and one of the few must-watch fighters at 115 pounds. If she can defeat Letourneau in impressive fashion, it would be hard to argue against her receiving a shot at Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Was TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia Better Than We Were Giving It Credit For?
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The Fights: Chad Laprise vs. Francisco Trinaldo, Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Tony Sims
The Real Fights: The Ultimate Fighter vs. Traditional Ways of Discerning MMA Talent
The Stakes
While winning a season of The Ultimate Fighter isn't quite the guarantee for success it used to be, TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia lightweight finalists Olivier Aubin Mercier and Chad Laprise are a combined 4-0 since the end of the show. If they can both walk away with wins, it will add to what has panned out to be a sneakily solid season of the long-running reality series.
The Question
Was TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia better than we were giving it credit for?
Analysis
At one point, it felt like TUF: Nations was going to be a dud of the highest order. In the short term, it was hard to get especially excited about a rivalry between two countries with no overlapping history in international sport. In the long term, neither Canada nor Australia seemed to have the talent pool to field an enduring crop of fighters.
While it's too early to stack it against prior seasons, TUF: Nations has already produced three solid talents in Laprise, Aubin-Mercier and middleweight winner Elias Theodorou. Will any of them be championship material? Maybe, but the future is definitely brighter than most predicted.
Is Nikita Krylov Somebody to Take Seriously?
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The Fight: Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Nikita Krylov
The Real Fight: Nikita Krylov vs. First Impressions
The Stakes
Nikita Krylov seemed like an odd pickup for the UFC back in 2013, and an ugly 1-2 start to his career in American MMA did little to assuage those concerns. Coming off back-to-back first-round knockouts, however, the Ukrainian karateka is forcing naysayers to revise their opinions of him. If he can rough up Marcos Rogerio de Lima, he may become the first young up-and-comer at 205-pounds since Jon Jones.
The Question
Is Nikita Krylov somebody to take seriously?
Analysis
Krylov's first fight, a wheezy loss to Soa Palelei, was anything but inspiring. When he was manhandled by Ovince Saint Preux seven months later, it was easy to feel like his days in the UFC were numbered. He turned things around, however, by knocking out Cody Donovan. And he showed he's a legitimate talent by submitting Stanislav Nedkov.
If he can continue racking up wins and break into the light heavyweight top 10, it will serve as a much-needed injection of young talent into a crusty, old division.
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Will the UFC Finally Get Their Wish of a Relevant Erick Silva?
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The Fight: Rick Story vs. Erick Silva
The Real Fight: Erick Silva vs. A Decent Fighter—For Once
The Stakes
The UFC has long had high hopes for Erick Silva, but the Brazilian's inability to win fights against average-or-better competition has undermined their attempts to give him a main event push. Well, they have a golden opportunity on their hands with this matchup with Rick Story. If Silva manages to climb over him, he is likely to get the top-10 ranking the UFC has long craved.
The Question
Will the UFC finally get their wish of a relevant Erick Silva?
Analysis
I've written words on Silva and the UFC's irrational compulsion to package him as something other than an amazingly average fighter on more than a few occasions. While he remains a preliminary card-level talent by all obvious measures, he has a golden opportunity to break into the welterweight top 10 with this fight against the ho-hum (but 10th-ranked, for some reason) Rick Story.
If he can finally get a win over an opponent with a winning UFC record, he will gain the on-paper credibility the promotion has long sought for him.
Which Up-and-Coming Featherweight Will Keep Pushing Forward?
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The Fight: Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira
The Real Fight: Potential Contender vs. Potential Contender
The Stakes
Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira have both overcome rocky starts to their UFC careers to become top-flight featherweights. Unfortunately, they must now do battle to determine which of them will continue on the path to the title.
The Question
Which up-and-coming featherweight will keep pushing forward?
Analysis
There is so much to love about both Holloway and Oliveira. They're young. They're talented. They're well-rounded. They've both beaten up respected, skilled veterans.
And right now? They're both just a win away from reasonably being able to claim a title shot. Unfortunately, this fight is sure to steal that opportunity away from one of these men, and that's just a shame.
Is This Fight Really at All Necessary?
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The Fight: Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira
The Real Fight: UFC vs. Having Strong Contenders
The Stakes
In a matchup of surging young talent such as this, one would traditionally expect something to be on the line. Alas, that is not the case here. The featherweight division is paused as it awaits the blockbuster matchup (and potential blockbuster rematch) between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor, which leaves Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira fighting for little more than a paycheck and another stamp on their Reebok Frequent Fighter card.
The Question
Is this fight really at all necessary?
Analysis
Holloway versus Oliveira is the kind of bout that wouldn't happen if fighters or their managers had any kind of control over their careers. While this should be a time for sharpening skills and crushing cans en route to a decisive top-contender bout at an opportune moment, these featherweights are set to fight on free TV in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Neither man gains anything from this fight. While a win over yet another top-10 opponent looks great on the resume, the actual belt is tied up until July 2016—possibly even November 2016 if Conor McGregor beats Jose Aldo. They don't necessarily build up their brand in any way since they're in eerily similar situations career-wise. Worst of all, they don't make more money by taking on a dangerous fight because, well, that's not how the UFC works.
There is nothing to gain and everything to lose here. It will be fun for the fans, of course, since these are top-notch fighters who will be going for broke. That fun, however, will be fleeting. The damage it will do to the loser's career will last for years.
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