UFC Fight Night 78 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 79
UFC Fight Night 78 is in the books. The results are as follows (c/o Bleacher Report's own Craig Amos):
UFC Fight Night 78 Main Card
- Neil Magny def. Kelvin Gastelum, split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
- Ricardo Lamas def. Diego Sanchez, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Henry Cejudo def. Jussier Formiga, split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
- Erick Montano def. Enrique Marin, split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Enrique Barzola def. Horacio Gutierrez, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Leandro Silva def. Efrain Escudero, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Erik Perez def. Taylor Lapilus, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bartosz Fabinski def. Hector Urbina, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Alejandro Perez def. Scott Jorgensen, TKO (Round 2, 4:26)
- Andre Fili def. Gabriel Benitez, TKO (Round 1, 3:13)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Alvaro Herrera def. Vernon Ramos, TKO (Round 1, 0:30)
- Polo Reyes def. Cesar Arzamendia, knockout (Round 1, 3:42)
- Michel Prazeres def. Valmir Lazaro, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Next up? Fight Night 79 on Saturday, Nov. 28, of course.
The UFC is set to take its first trip to South Korea and has put together a deceptively solid show to court the new market. With a lineup of compelling talent, including newcomers such as Seo-Hee Ham and Doo-Ho Choi, alongside established veterans such as Ben Henderson and Dong-Hyun Kim, there is actually quite a lot to look forward to on this card.
So which questions demand to be answered? Read on and find out.
Can the UFC Finally Have a Foreign Show Work Out?
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The Fight: N/A
The Real Fight: The UFC vs. Bad Luck
The Stakes
The UFC is set to make its debut in Seoul, South Korea, and it has unsurprisingly stacked the card with Korean talent. While that seems like a no-brainer, that approach has wound up being a recipe of disaster for the UFC. If the Korean talent on the card doesn't shake out, we might not see the UFC return to Korea for a good, long time.
The Question
Can the UFC finally have a foreign show work out?
Analysis
The UFC has had bad luck in recent months with how its international cards have gone. Sometimes, those turns have been trivial, like when Dennis Siver dropped a unanimous decision to Tatsuya Kawajiri in Berlin. Other times, they have been absolute disasters, like when Anthony Johnson knocked out Alexander Gustafsson in Stockholm, Sweden.
South Korea is a nation that loves to see its athletes come out on top, and it's on the Koreans on this card to give the fans what they want. If they can't, there might not be a UFC: Seoul 2.
Will Doo-Ho Choi Post a Strong Sophomore Appearance?
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The Fight: Doo-Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia
The Real Fight: Doo-Ho Choi vs. Getting Proper Respect
The Stakes
Doo-Ho Choi made quite the splash in his UFC debut, knocking out Juan Puig in just 18 seconds. Now he needs to post another impressive performance, this time opposite Sam Sicilia.
The Question
Will Doo-Ho Choi post a strong sophomore appearance?
Analysis
Forget about all those other Abercrombie and Fitch wannabes that the UFC is pushing down your throat. The hottest prospect in the UFC is The Korean Superboy.
A Conor McGregor-like striker who has had success against some solid competition on the Japanese circuit, Choi already has the resume to step into the cage against ranked competition. More importantly, he has the pure power to smoke anybody in the division.
Sicilia is a fighter Choi could build his highlight reel on, and it will be interesting to see if he can do so. If you're only going to watch one main card fight, it should be this one.
Can Sexyama Stay Sexy?
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The Fight: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alberto Mina
The Real Fight: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Long Layoffs
The Stakes
Yoshihiro Akiyama returned from a two-and-a-half-year layoff in style by defeating Amir Sadollah at UFC Fight Night 52 in September 2014. He gained no momentum, however, due to another yearlong layoff for the judoka. Now set to face Alberto Mina as one of the top stars on the card, Sexyama could really use a win here.
The Question
Can Sexyama stay sexy?
Analysis
Few fighters in MMA have the swagger and magnetism of Akiyama. Despite having just two fights in the last four years, he still commands attention in a way few fighters do, and that makes him stick out, even on a deceptively deep card.
Who he is fighting is ultimately irrelevant. The only question is whether Akiyama will look as smooth in the cage as he does outside it.
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Can Dong-Hyun Kim Make the Most out of This Favorable Matchup?
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The Fight: Dong-Hyun Kim vs. Dominic Waters
The Real Fight: Dong-Hyun Kim vs. Not Jorge Masvidal
The Stakes
After a shake-up in the main event, Dong-Hyun Kim has gone from taking a dangerous fight opposite Jorge Masvidal to getting a showcase matchup opposite Dominic Waters. Set to be the clear-cut biggest favorite in front of an engaged Seoul crowd, Kim has a great chance to assert himself as the UFC's top star in Asia.
The Question
Can Dong-Hyun Kim make the most out of this favorable matchup?
Analysis
Kim has long been one of the most underutilized fighters on the UFC roster. Maybe it was his inability to score an electrifying win over the top names he beat during the early portion of his UFC career. Maybe it was the fact that he started popping off about fighter pay when he started getting steam as a contender.
Regardless, even in this era with almost every UFC card featuring between two and five welterweight fights, the UFC just doesn't bother to schedule him more than twice per year. What a waste, right?
Still, Kim has managed to make his fights count in a big way, and this one is no exception. Already the UFC's biggest star in South Korea, he has the opportunity to cement his place as a foothold for a potentially big market.
Will This Be Ben Henderson's Last Fight in the UFC?
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The Fight: Benson Henderson vs. Jorge Masvidal
The Real Fight: The UFC vs. A Competitive Marketplace
The Stakes
One of MMA's biggest open secrets in the latter half of 2015 has been the likely impending departure of Benson Henderson from the UFC. Bleacher Report's own Jeremy Botter discussed this at length back in April, and there has been no news of any change in the situation. Win or lose, this could be Smooth's last fight in the UFC.
The Question
Will this be Ben Henderson's last fight in the UFC?
Analysis
The UFC's uniform policy with Reebok has changed MMA in a big way. Many fighters did relatively well for themselves in the semi-open sponsorship market that existed beforehand, but for many veterans, the paltry sums offered since the exclusive deal just don't cut it.
Granted, the entire deal is a brilliant (albeit unethical) stroke by the UFC, forcing fighters to take any given fight the UFC decides is right for its promotional purposes while driving down the price tag of the next generation of talent. It has, however, strained the relationships between the UFC and a number of its veterans, which has lead to the departures of Josh Thomson and Phil Davis for Bellator.
Henderson could easily join them in Bellator or, perhaps, wind up in One FC. Either way, his days with the UFC are likely over...and that could be a major shift for MMA.
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