UFC Fight Night 85 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 86
UFC Fight Night 85 is in the books. The results are as follows, per Bleacher Report's own Craig Amos:
Main Card on Fox Sports 1
- Mark Hunt def. Frank Mir, knockout (Round 1, 3:01)
- Neil Magny def. Hector Lombard, TKO (Round 3, 0:46)
- Jake Matthews def. Johnny Case, submission (Round 3, 4:45)
- Daniel Kelly def. Antonio Carlos Junior, TKO (Round 3, 1:36)
- Steve Bosse def. James Te Huna, knockout (Round 1, 0:52)
- Bec Rawlings def. Seo Hee Ham, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Alan Jouban def. Brendan O'Reilly, TKO (Round 1, 2:15)
- Daniel Hooker def. Mark Eddiva, submission (Round 1, 1:24)
- Leslie Smith def. Rin Nakai, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Viscardi Andrade def. Rich Walsh, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Ross Pearson def. Chad Laprise, split decision (28-30, 30-27, 29-28)
- Alan Patrick def. Damien Brown, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Next up? UFC Fight Night 86. The UFC is headed to Croatia for the first time and wants this trip to be a short one, jamming the card with lighting-quick finishers.
On top of the card is the interesting, high-stakes matchup between Ben Rothwell and Junior dos Santos which holds serious title ramifications. Past that are a number of interesting names, including Marcin Tybura, Francis Ngannou and Maryna Moroz.
So what are the five hottest questions entering the event? Find out here!
Will Maryna Moroz Get Back on Track?
1 of 5
The Fight: Maryna Moroz vs. Christina Stanciu
The Real Fight: Maryna Moroz vs. Getting a Second Chance
The Stakes
Maryna Moroz shocked onlookers by upsetting Joanne Calderwood in her UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 64 but struggled in her sophomore effort, dropping a unanimous decision to Valerie Letourneau. In a wide open strawweight division, though, she has the chance to get right back into the title picture by defeating the debuting Christina Stanciu.
The Question
Will Moroz Get Back on Track?
Analysis
Moroz isn't a well-established talent at this point, but she is athletic, owns strong submission skills and has a fair bit of pop in her hands. Stanciu has looked strong to this point in her career but hasn't faced the kind of competition Moroz has. There is a real chance that the Romanian isn't ready for the jump to the UFC yet, and that gives Moroz a big opportunity.
If Moroz can post another impressive win and make some noise about strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, she might just be able to cut the line and stake a claim for a title shot. If she loses, though, that win over Calderwood is going to start growing an asterisk.
Will Jan Blachowicz Become One of the Biggest Busts in UFC History?
2 of 5
The Fight: Igor Pokrajac vs. Jan Blachowicz
The Real Fight: Jan Blachowicz vs. Unflattering Labels
The Stakes
Jan Blachowicz entered the UFC with high expectations. He was the toast of the European circuit and reigned over KSW's light heavyweight division. When he finished Ilir Latifi in his UFC debut, he seemed destined for great things. Then he dropped two decisions to Jimi Manuwa and Corey Anderson.
Now he sits on the brink of getting cut. Another setback would likely send him into free agency.
The Question
Will Blachowicz Become One of the Biggest Busts in UFC History?
Analysis
While Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic will likely go down as the biggest bust in UFC history by a substantial margin, Blachowicz is in the thick of things in that second tier, right alongside Sokoudjou and Hatsu Hioki.
Of course, that changes quickly with a win. Any "Biggest Bust" list from years past contains names that stabilized after a rocky start (Hector Lombard, Alistair Overeem and Vitor Belfort, for example). It only takes one or two more wins for Blachowicz to right that ship, and he has a great opportunity to do just that here, against a returning (but still not good) Igor Pokrajac.
If he can't, though? Well...history will not be kind to him.
How Will Marcin Tybura Look in His UFC Debut?
3 of 5The Fight: Timothy Johnson vs. Marcin Tybura
The Real Fight: Marcin Tybura vs. The General Lack of Success of Polish Men in the UFC
The Stakes
Former M-1 heavyweight champion Marcin Tybura has finally arrived in the UFC! Now he needs to try to make a strong first impression opposite the mustached maestro, Timothy Johnson.
The Question
How Will Tybura Look in His UFC Debut?
Analysis
Tybura became a popular figure among hardcore MMA fans in 2014 when he took the M-1 heavyweight title off Damian Grabowski via first-round submission. Despite a loss to Stephan Puetz, the Polish finisher has remained on smart fans' wishlists and could start generating hype among casuals with a big win here. He has a tough draw in his debut, but if he can get through the American, he could move right on to a ranked opponent next.
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Does Junior Dos Santos Still Have It?
4 of 5
The Fight: Ben Rothwell vs. Junior dos Santos
The Real Fight: Junior dos Santos vs. Downward Trends
The Stakes
Dos Santos received two life-changing beatings from Cain Velasquez and just hasn't looked the same since. Now coming off a knockout loss to Overeem, if dos Santos posts another ugly performance against Ben Rothwell, his days as a top heavyweight will officially come to an end.
The Question
Does Dos Santos Still Have It?
Analysis
Dos Santos absorbed a huge amount of damage against Velasquez at UFC 155 but bounced back well at UFC 160 by defeating Mark Hunt. He got beaten down by Velasquez in similarly devastating fashion at UFC 166, and that, unfortunately, seemed to take the pep out of his step.
He has fought just twice since, and in both of those performances, he looked slower, flatter and much less sharp than he did during his title run. That's a very bad thing for a fighter whose attack has always centered around crisp boxing.
Any fan of Cigano had better tune in here and keep their fingers crossed. If he loses decisively to Rothwell, there is little reason for him to come back.
Can Ben Rothwell Keep Making Life Difficult for the UFC?
5 of 5
The Fight: Rothwell vs. dos Santos
The Real Fight: Rothwell vs. Getting Some Gosh Darn Respect Around Here!
The Stakes
Rothwell has won four consecutive fights. During that stretch, he has knocked out a former K-1 Kickboxing champion and submitted a catch wrestling specialist.
Still, Big Ben finds himself far, far away from title contention. The UFC would love for him to fade off, and if he can't get through dos Santos at Fight Night 86, he will do just that.
The Question
Can Rothwell Keep Making Life Difficult for the UFC?
Analysis
Rothwell doesn't fit into the UFC's promotional plans, so it's just kind of ignoring him. Despite being the on-paper top contender, he is most likely fourth in line for a title shot in the UFC's mind, behind Stipe Miocic, Velasquez and Overeem.
Is that fair? No, but there are few fair things about the UFC.
Fight after fight, Rothwell gets pitted against dangerous opponent, and despite recent struggles, dos Santos is no different. A formidable boxer, he owns a technical advantage over the meat-and-potatoes slugger and could potentially keep Rothwell on the end of his jab for the entire fight, sending him to the back of the proverbial line.
Even in victory, Rothwell would gain little. A win wouldn't further cement his status as the top contender, and it wouldn't undercut Velasquez, Overeem or Miocic.
All Rothwell can do (outside demanding his release so he can join Bellator...which wouldn't be a bad idea, come to think of it) is keep on winning. Maybe, eventually, he might get the opportunity to start knocking off other contenders.
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