UFC 195 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into UFC Fight Night 81

UFC 195 is in the books. The results are as follows:

UFC 195 Main Card 

• Robbie Lawler def. Carlos Condit, split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
• Stipe Miocic def. Andrei Arlovski, TKO (Round 1, 0:54)
• Albert Tumenov def. Lorenz Larkin, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Brian Ortega def. Diego Brandao, submission (Round 3, 1:37)
• Abel Trujillo def. Tony Sims, submission (Round 1, 3:18)

Prelims on Fox Sports 1 

• Michael McDonald def. Masanori Kanehara, submission (Round 2, 2:09)
• Alex Morono def. Kyle Noke, split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
• Justine Kish def. Nina Ansaroff, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Drew Dober def. Scott Holtzman, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Prelims on UFC Fight Pass 

• Dustin Poirier def. Joe Duffy, unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
• Michinori Tanaka def. Joe Soto, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Sheldon Westcott def. Edgar Garcia, TKO (Round 1, 3:12)

Next up? UFC Fight Night 81 on Jan. 17.

The UFC is starting a new tradition of a stacked, Sunday night Fox Sports 1 card during the NFL playoffs. It started last year with Conor McGregor vs. Dennis Siver, and it continues here with the long-awaited bantamweight title showdown between T.J. Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz. Not only that, but there is the lightweight tilt between Eddie Alvarez and Anthony Pettis, as well as a slew of heavy-hitting fan favorites.

So what questions are simply begging to be asked about this event? Which questions are likely going to melt through your monitor if you leave them on-screen too long? Find out right here!

Will Felder vs. Cruickshank Set the '2016 Fight of the Year' Standard?

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

The Fight: Paul Felder vs. Daron Cruickshank
The Real Fight: This Fight vs. Your Boring Saturday Evening

The Stakes

Paul Felder and Daron Cruickshank are not elite lightweights. They are not even especially good ones. Heck, they are not even coming off wins. Felder and Cruickshank, however, are exciting fighters and masters in the art of spinning "stuff."

This could be an entertaining fight, despite the lack of on-paper significance.

The Question

Will Felder vs. Cruickshank set the "2016 Fight of the Year" standard?

Analysis

This fight won't have any impact on the title picture and won't get either man off the prelims. There's even a decent chance the loser is destined for Bellator or WSOF. But boy...this could be a fun one.

Cruickshank can do this kind of stuff. Felder can too!

Locking them in the cage together could provide fans with one of the most exciting, violent fights of 2016. Don't sleep on this one, folks. It may end up being just as good as Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit.

What Comes Next for Travis Browne and Matt Mitrione?

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Fight: Travis Browne vs. Matt Mitrione
The Real Fight: Travis Browne, Matt Mitrione vs. Their Current Standing

The Stakes

Travis Browne and Matt Mitrione are both at a crossroads. One path leads to possible redemption. The other points toward anonymity. The winner walks the former; the loser goes down the latter and will likely stay there for the remainder of his career.

The Question

What comes next for Travis Browne and Matt Mitrione?

Analysis

Browne is in an awkward spot from a matchmaking perspective. He finds himself locked out of the title picture due to his losses to Andrei Arlovski and Fabricio Werdum, but he could end up making noise again in the near future. A loss to Mitrione, however, would likely end his time as a Top 10 heavyweight and could force him into gatekeeper status for the rest of his career.

Mitrione's situation is quite different. Meathead is openly looking to explore free agency, and a return to the UFC feels unlikely. He is desperately looking for leverage at the bargaining table, so a win over a Top 10 fighter (who also happens to be in a soap-opera relationship with Ronda Rousey) would come in handy.

While this may seem like a throwaway fight, the stakes are high for both men. It is worth watching to see how things shake out for them.

Which Former Lightweight Champ Will Maintain Contender Status?

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Fight: Anthony Pettis vs. Eddie Alvarez
The Real Fight: Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez vs. Divisional Depth

The Stakes

Anthony Pettis and Eddie Alvarez have both climbed to the top of the proverbial mountain. They have both been knocked down, and now they seek to return to the peak.

Whoever wins this fight could walk right into a title fight. Whoever loses may never have that chance again.

The Question

Which former lightweight champ will maintain contender status?

Analysis

The lightweight division is so flush with talent right now that any slip-up can result in career catastrophe. Pettis and Alvarez, for the most part, have come out of high-profile losses (to Rafael dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone, respectively) relatively cleanly. Make no mistake, though: They absolutely, positively, cannot take that chance again.

Another loss could officially end their days as contenders, as the Nate Diazes, Dustin Poiriers and Tony Fergusons all look to climb to the top at their expense. There are just too many men desperately looking to fill that one spot for either Pettis or Alvarez to make a mistake at this point.

Can the Main Event Possibly Live Up to Its Potential?

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The Fight: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz 
The Real Fight: Hype vs. Living Up to Hype

The Stakes

For snooty MMA fans, the ones who read technical analyses and attend events while wearing three-piece suits, monocles and top hats, a bantamweight bout between T.J. Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz has long been a dream match. Both men have cerebral approaches to the MMA game and have a level of versatility that set them apart from the pack. They are among the handful of fighters who have seamlessly blended their striking with their wrestling, and they are both cut from the same cloth as the legendary Fedor Emelianenko. 

In two weeks' time, they will be locked in a battle that they will decide with their fists and wits...so long as nobody scores an early finish.

The Question

Can the main event possibly live up to its potential?

Analysis

Does this need to be explained further? Cruz and Dillashaw have achieved a level of technical mastery that few others have, and seeing them face off after years of anticipation...lordy. Let me fan myself off...

Is It Wise to Set Dominick Cruz Up for a Title Fight at This Point?

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

The Fight: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz
The Real Fight: Dominick Cruz vs. His Lengthy Injury History

The Stakes

Dominick Cruz is an amazing fighter, but it's impossible to ignore his injury history. With just one fight to his name since 2011, it is worth asking whether it is wise to set him up with a title fight.

The Question

Is it wise to set Dominick Cruz up for a title fight at this point?

Analysis

There's no question that Cruz deserves a title shot, but is doing so in his, or the UFC's, best interest? 

While Cruz is (or was) a downright amazing fighter, we've seen plenty of athletes over the years suffer serious injuries and never look the same after. Cruz, though, has suffered not one, not two, but three catastrophic injuries. And now he is expected to enter the Octagon against a fearsome Dillashaw at full strength?

That's asking a bit much, isn't it?

When Cruz finally returned in 2014 after three years out of the cage, he didn't immediately face Dillashaw; he took a tuneup fight against Takeya Mizugaki. He most certainly could have done so again here, taking on someone like Eddie Wineland or Johnny Eduardo. Why rush him into a title fight now coming off a serious knee injury?

And what of the title? Would anyone be surprised if Cruz injured something and spent another 12 months out of action? Why give him the opportunity to take the UFC title with him to a physical therapist's office?

2015 was an amazing year for the UFC, and that is in no small part due to the simple fact that it had all 10 of its titles in action. Having Cruz potentially change that...well, it's not good.

Hopefully, regardless of the outcome, Cruz can get back in action and continue building his legacy. The bantamweight division needs him.