UFC 192 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into UFC Fight Night 76
UFC 192 is in the books. The results are as follows (c/o Bleacher Report play-by-play man Craig Amos):
UFC 192 Main Card
- Daniel Cormier def. Alexander Gustafsson, split decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)
- Ryan Bader def. Rashad Evans, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Ruslan Magomedov def. Shawn Jordan, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
- Joseph Benavidez def. Ali Bagautinov, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Julianna Pena def. Jessica Eye, unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Yair Rodriguez def. Daniel Hooker, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Albert Tumenov def. Alan Jouban, TKO (Round 1, 2:55)
- Adriano Martins def. Islam Makhachev, knockout (Round 1, 1:46)
- Rose Namajunas def. Angela Hill, submission (Round 1, 2:47)
Prelims of UFC Fight Pass
- Sage Northcutt def. Francisco Trevino, TKO (Round 1, 0:57)
- Sergio Pettis def. Chris Cariaso, unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
- Derrick Lewis def. Viktor Pesta, TKO (Round 3, 1:15)
Next up? The UFC's return to Ireland at Fight Night 76 on Saturday, October 24. While the UFC's last trip to Dublin was a raucous event headlined by breakout star Conor McGregor, this one is far more understated but still interesting.
The card is largely comprised of local talent such as Patrick Holohan, Cathal Pendred and Aisling Daly against opponents from around the world, and it is topped with an interesting lightweight bout between Ireland's Joseph Duffy and America's Dustin Poirier.
So which bouts are worth looking out for? What questions need to be answered in a few weeks?
Find out here!
What Will Happen with Cathal Pendred?
1 of 5
The Fight: Cathal Pendred vs. Tom Breese
The Real Fight: Cathal Pendred vs. Being Like Everyone Else
The Stakes
Cathal Pendred may be on strong footing in his career but finds himself in a tough fight. Following his first official UFC loss, courtesy of John Howard, the Irish grinder has a dangerous fight ahead of him opposite Tom Breese, who threatens to harm both his body and his relevance.
The Question
What will happen with Cathal Pendred?
Analysis
Pendred is a European welterweight with a grappling-focused style who came out of a recent season of The Ultimate Fighter. That, quite frankly, is as stacked as a deck can get against a fighter when it comes to resonating with fans. But while Pendred may be maligned by many for his clinch-based style and propensity for taking controversial decision wins, he deserves all the credit in the world for standing out in the crowd through his awkward rivalry with CM Punk.
That said, nothing undermines a fighter's efforts to promote himself like losing, never mind when those losses come from complete unknowns like Breese. In many ways, this is a must-win for the SBG product.
How Will Reza Madadi Look in His Return?
2 of 5
The Fight: Norman Parke vs. Reza Madadi
The Real Fight: Reza Madadi vs. The Law (But the Law Won)
The Stakes
Reza Madadi is back after 14 months in the clink after being found guilty of knocking over a boutique. Lucky for him, he isn't being forced to restart his career and returns to the UFC to face a struggling, but solid, Norman Parke in a high-stakes match for both men.
The Question
How will Reza Madadi look in his return?
Analysis
It's not especially surprising that Madadi went from lockup to the Octagon without having to make a pit stop in BAMMA or KSW. Before his sudden release, Madadi was poised to be a breakout star at 155 pounds, courtesy of his submission win over Michael Johnson. Given Johnson's steady climb, Madadi has become something of an X-factor.
The UFC knows it too and is setting him up to potentially retake a spot near the top of the division. While Parke isn't a top-10 lightweight, he is a solid, upper-middle-tier fighter with a well-rounded skill set. If Madadi can beat him without incident, look for him to have the opportunity to claim a spot in the rankings.
Is Ben Rothwell Really Going to Pull This Off?
3 of 5
The Fight: Stipe Miocic vs. Ben Rothwell
The Real Fight: Ben Rothwell vs. Not Overachieving
The Stakes
Everything has fallen into place for Big Ben Rothwell. Riding a three-fight winning streak in a wide-open heavyweight division, the 44-fight veteran has the chance to step into title contention with a win over Stipe Miocic.
The Question
Is Ben Rothwell really going to pull this off?
Analysis
Rothwell, for a long while, seemed like a standard-issue brawler, alternating wins and losses with an inelegant but effective "I punch you now" style. While there is always a place for that kind of fighter in the upper weight classes, students of Tank Abbott Fu rarely put together a streak worthy of a title shot.
Things have come together perfectly for him, though. With a knockout win over a resurgent Alistair Overeem, he has a strong MMA math claim to a title shot. If he can add Miocic to his resume, though, it will be difficult for the UFC to keep ignoring him.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Can Stipe Miocic Keep Looking Darn Good?
4 of 5
The Fight: Stipe Miocic vs. Ben Rothwell
The Real Fight: Stipe Miocic vs. Inconsistency
The Stakes
Stipe Miocic has an amazingly high ceiling as a fighter but hasn't quite gotten the right wins at the right times to ever come close to title contention. Coming off a strong performance against Junior dos Santos and a scarily lopsided win over Mark Hunt, however, he has made it clear that he belongs right at the top of the division. Now he just needs to get a winning streak.
He has the opportunity to do just that by defeating Ben Rothwell.
The Question
Can Stipe Miocic keep looking darn good?
Analysis
Miocic could easily be the most underrated fighter in MMA today. He has knockout power in his hands. He has a solid wrestling game. He has technical boxing. He has a level of athleticism and, assuming his fight against Hunt wasn't an aberration, cardio that few can match.
Then again...he also might not be. He is terribly inconvenienced by his 2014 loss to Junior dos Santos, which saw him tire out down the stretch and come out on the wrong end of a narrow decision. Oh, and Stefan Struve knocked him out in 2012. That's not a good thing.
If Miocic dominates Rothwell the same way he did Hunt, it may be time to buy into him as the next heavyweight champion. If he can't? The heavyweight division may have just found its newest gatekeeper.
Which Main Eventer Will Become a Factor at 155 Pounds?
5 of 5
The Fight: Dustin Poirier vs. Joseph Duffy
The Real Fight: Resurgent Veteran vs. Compelling Newcomer
The Stakes
The main event to Fight Night 76 is a good one. Dustin Poirier was a top-10 talent at 145 pounds but has looked like an absolute killer since returning to 155. Joseph Duffy, meanwhile, was an unknown commodity when he entered the UFC earlier this year and might have been just another Rocky Johnson or Erica Paes. With two impressive wins to his name, however, he has established himself as a legitimate talent in his own right.
Only one of them will keep his hype trains a'rollin', though. A shame, really...
The Question
Which main eventer will become a factor at 155 pounds?
Analysis
This should be a fun fight, but boy, it's a tough one to call.
Duffy remains an unknown commodity, but his ceiling is just so tantalizingly high. Poirier is already a well-established talent with solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a fair bit of pop in his hands. Duffy has done great work against some names (including Norman Parke and Conor McGregor) but hasn't faced a seasoned opponent such as Poirier yet.
Will Duffy's skills translate against a talented opponent?
It will be interesting to see what each man brings to this fight, and whether the fringe top-10 crowd will welcome in a familiar face or a new one.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
