UFC Fight Night 75 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into UFC 192
UFC Fight Night 75 is in the books. The results are as follows (c/o Bleacher Report's live blogger, Craig Amos):
UFC Fight Night 75 Main Card on Fox Sports 1
- Josh Barnett def. Roy Nelson, unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 50-45)
- Uriah Hall def. Gegard Mousasi, TKO (Round 2, 0:25)
- Kyoji Horiguchi def. Chico Camus, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Takeya Mizugaki def. George Roop, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Diego Brandao def. Katsunori Kikuno, TKO (Round 1, 0:28)
- Mizuto Hirota vs. Teruto Ishihara, split draw (29-28, 28-29, 29-29)
Prelims on Fox Sports 2
- Keita Nakamura def. Li Jingliang, submission (Round 3, 2:17)
- Nick Hein def. Yusuke Kasuya, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Kajan Johnson def. Naoyuki Kotani, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Shinsho Anzai def. Roger Zapata, TKO (Round 3, 0:47)
Next up? UFC 192, a deceptively strong top-to-bottom card.
The Fight Pass leg of the card features high-stakes fights in Sergio Pettis vs. Chris Cariaso and Derrick Lewis vs. Viktor Pesta. The televised prelims are a step up from there, with Rose Namajunas, Yair Rodriguez and Joseph Benavidez all looking to score crucial wins.
Of course, the main card is topped by a light heavyweight title fight between Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson and features a load of backup from fights like Ryan Bader vs. Rashad Evans, Johny Hendricks vs. Tyron Woodley and Jessica Eye vs. Julianna Pena.
So what topics are worth mulling over in the next few days? What should you discuss around the water cooler? Find out here!
Will Rose Namajunas Look Like a Beast Again?
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The Fight: Rose Namajunas vs. Angela Hill
The Real Fight: Rose Namajunas vs. Y'all Forgetting
The Stakes
Rose Namajunas was supposed to be the breakout star of The Ultimate Fighter season 20. She was prominently featured in everything from the advertisements to the episodes to the buildup to the finale. Then she lost to Carla Esparza in emphatic fashion...and then Esparza lost in emphatic fashion to Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Now largely forgotten, the Invicta alum must remind everyone that she's still here, and she's still ferocious.
The Question
Will Namajunas look like a beast again?
Analysis
Namajunas has had a rough go of it lately. A squash match opposite Nina Ansaroff at UFC 187 was scrapped just hours before the event, and that's a huge blow in a UFC that still struggles with showcasing female talent not named "Ronda Rousey." Making matters worse, the UFC cast her aside without hesitation when it found another fighter to push based on her looks, Paige VanZant.
Her saving grace is that she still has the skills and the style to go far in the division, and when she wins, she tends to win impressively. She was given what the UFC expects to be an easy matchup in Hill, and if she can pull off another wild win, she could remind everyone of why she was once the UFC's handpicked 115-pound star.
Can Julianna Pena Make Good on Her Potential?
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The Fight: Jessica Eye vs. Julianna Pena
The Real Fight: Julianna Pena vs. Posting a Signature Win
The Stakes
Julianna Pena has been one of the most intriguing prospects in the UFC since her merciless run through TUF18. Unfortunately, a catastrophic knee injury halted her progress shortly after the start of her real UFC career. Now finally back to work, Pena has an opportunity to jump right into the thick of title contention with a matchup against Jessica Eye.
The Question
Can Pena make good on her potential?
Analysis
Since her demolition of Shayna Baszler at the start of TUF18, this writer has been all in on Pena. To quote my UFC 192 preview...
"From the moment Pena was introduced on The Ultimate Fighter, it was clear that she had the "It factor." Not the shallow, purely aesthetic "It factor" Dana White referred to with Paige VanZant, either. No, Pena had the in-cage ferocity, out-of-cage drive and unshakable arrogance that you see with any truly elite athlete.
The one thing missing for Pena has been a top-10 name on her resume. That can change here.
"
This is a massive opportunity for Pena, and Eye is the perfect measuring stick for her at this time. If she can win, she will likely end up heading toward a top contender's bout or even fighting for the title.
How Good Is Rashad Evans in 2015?
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The Fight: Ryan Bader vs. Rashad Evans
The Real Fight: Rashad Evans vs. Getting Old
The Stakes
Rashad Evans is in a strange position. 36 years old and two years removed from his last fight, it is hard to tell what, if anything, the former champ has left in the tank. This fight against Ryan Bader will determine that and, in all likelihood, will set him on the path he will ride into retirement.
The Question
How good is Evans in 2015?
Analysis
The “prime” Evans likely would have dispatched Bader with little trouble. A savvy wrestler with underrated power striking, he easily could have dominated the light heavyweight division had it not been for the rise of Jon Jones.
Is that version of Evans still around, though? It's a nice thought, but two years is a very long time and even before the layoff, Evans looked old and tired in bouts against the likes of Dan Henderson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Oh, and his paycheck was likely sliced deeply by the UFC's Reebok uniform policy. That probably doesn't help.
There are so many variables with Evans that it's difficult to even venture a guess as to what he will look like at UFC 192. His return could be glorious, it could be sad or it could be anything in between.
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Can Tyron Woodley Finally Score a Big Win?
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The Fight: Johny Hendricks vs. Tyron Woodley
The Real Fight: Tyron Woodley vs. The Hump
The Stakes
Tyron Woodley has the tools to succeed. In spite of multiple opportunities, however, he has not been able to post a big win over an elite-level opponent. If he can get over on fellow power-punching wrestler Johny Hendricks, though, he will immediately cut to the front of the welterweight contender line.
The Question
Can Woodley finally score a big win?
Analysis
If you were going to build a fighter from the ground up, he or she would probably be pretty close to Tyron Woodley. A two-time Division I All-American with lethal power in his hands, he can hang with pretty much any fighter at any stage of a match. For whatever reason, though, he hasn't been able to turn those individual skills into being a genuinely elite fighter.
Woodley's performances in the cage are best described as "inconsistent." The American Top Team product has posted some downright scary knockouts but hasn't managed to post any impressive wins over great fighters. Heck, the biggest names on his resume are Dong Hyun Kim and Carlos Condit, and even those victories came with asterisks attached (being that he fought the ballerina version of Kim and Condit lost via knee injury).
That, however, will change with a win over Hendricks. The former welterweight champ is not one to give away a cheap win, and it will be substantially harder to doubt Woodley's chances of becoming champion if he manages to pull this off at UFC 192.
Can Alexander Gustafsson Pull This Off?
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The Fight: Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson
The Real Fight: Alexander Gustafsson vs. The World
The Stakes
Against all odds, Alexander Gustafsson has fallen into title contention. The deck, however, remains stacked against him. To take the belt, the Swedish striker will have to weather both a rough stylistic matchup as well as the traditional “champion's advantage.” That's a tall order, even for a giant like Gus.
The Question
Can Gustafsson pull this off?
Analysis
This is a brutally tough draw for the challenger. While the Mauler is a legitimate top-five fighter, he lacks the tools to exploit the few weaknesses Cormier has shown to this point. It's hard not to expect a long, drawn-out, clinch-filled fight that ultimately ends with the dreaded "and still."
Then again, how unenthusiastic were many entering his title fight with Jon Jones? Maybe he'll surprise fans yet again.
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