UFC Fight Night 87 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into UFC 198
UFC Fight Night 87 is in the books! The results are as follows:
- Alistair Overeem defeats Andrei Arlovski by TKO at 1:12 of the second round
- Stefan Struve defeats Antonio Silva by TKO at 0:16 of the first round
- Gunnar Nelson defeats Albert Tumenov via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:15 of the second round
- Germaine de Randamie defeats Anna Elmose by TKO at 3:46 of the first round
- Nikita Krylov defeats Francimar Barroso via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:11 of the second round
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz defeats Heather Jo Clark by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Rustam Khabilov defeats Chris Wade by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Magnus Cedenblad defeats Garreth McLellan by TKO at 0:47 of the second round
- Josh Emmett defeats Jon Tuck by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Reza Madadi defeats Yan Cabral by TKO at 1:56 of the third round
- Kyoji Horiguchi defeats Neil Seery by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
- Leon Edwards defeats Dominic Waters by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Ulka Sasaki defeats Willie Gates via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:30 of the second round
Next up? UFC 198 on Saturday.
The UFC has finally pulled the trigger on an event in a soccer stadium, and it has pulled out all the stops to make this card a success, despite Brazil's current political troubles.
Atop the card is heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum, who will defend his strap against Stipe Miocic. Behind him? A slew of Brazilian champions and contenders including Cris Cyborg, Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort.
There's a lot to talk about on this card, but which questions are the hottest? Read on and find out.
Does Matt Brown Stand Any Chance Against Demian Maia?
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The Fight: Demian Maia vs. Matt Brown
The Real Fight: Matt Brown vs. Good Career Choices
The Stakes
Matt Brown is a good fighter, but Demian Maia is probably the worst matchup in the division for him. It is tough to envision a way for him to win, which makes this fight a bit more interesting.
The Question
Does Matt Brown stand any chance against Demian Maia?
Analysis
MMAFighting.com's Luke Thomas has been gushing over Brown's toughness and attitude about this fight and rightly so. Speaking with Thomas on his SiriusXM radio show, Brown said he specifically took this fight because he wanted to live up to a stylistically troublesome opponent. While it's easy to marvel at that kind of mental toughness, Maia is still an incredibly bad fight for him.
It's possible that Brown will keep things standing and outbrawl the tricky Brazilian. In all likelihood, though, Maia will take him down and dominate him on the ground.
How Will Cris Cyborg Look in Her UFC Debut?
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The Fight: Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith
The Real Fight: Cris Cyborg vs. Brutal Weight Cuts, Octagon Jitters
The Stakes
It's four years overdue, but Cris Cyborg is finally a UFC fighter. The UFC has put her in prime position to make up for lost time too, with a relatively easy matchup opposite Leslie Smith. But while this should be a blowout on paper, as everyone knows, fights don't go down on paper.
The Question
How will Cris Cyborg look in her UFC debut?
Analysis
Cyborg is massive at 145 pounds, and Smith is terribly undersized at 135. Furthermore, the blueprint for beating Cyborg has already been drawn out, and Smith doesn't have the pure striking skills necessary to pull it off. All signs point to a Cyborg blowout here.
There are, however, two big concerns.
First and foremost is the weight cut. Cyborg's UFC 198 fight will take place at 140 pounds, a weight that she has never competed at. With her cut down to 145 already a brutal one, it's possible those few extra pounds could complicate matters further.
Second is the mental aspect of this fight. This bout has major stakes, something Cyborg hasn't had to worry about in years, and it will go down in her hometown of Curitiba, Brazil, a place where she hasn't fought since 2006.
If Cyborg can overcome those two things, this shouldn't be too tough for her. If she can't, this fight will get much more intriguing.
Is There Any Point to Anderson Silva vs. Uriah Hall?
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The Fight: Anderson Silva vs. Uriah Hall
The Real Fight: UFC vs. Logic
The Stakes
Former middleweight champion Anderson Silva is making a quick turnaround after his loss to Michael Bisping, facing Uriah Hall at UFC 198. Unfortunately, while the kneejerk reaction to this fight is "yea, two flashy strikers facing off," the reality of this fight is far less compelling.
The Question
Is there any point to Anderson Silva vs. Uriah Hall?
Analysis
I panned this fight thoroughly in my UFC 198 preview, and my enthusiasm level has not changed. There is nothing to gain here for Silva, the UFC or the fans, and it's hard to fathom why the UFC even made this fight.
If the UFC wants to job somebody out to Silva, it could have picked a softer fighter than Hall. If the company wants to give somebody the rub, it should have picked somebody with a higher upside than Hall.
None of this makes sense...
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Will Vitor Belfort Once Again Force His Way into Title Contention?
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The Fight: Ronaldo Souza vs. Vitor Belfort
The Real Fight: The UFC vs. Losing That Zero, Getting Itself a Hero
The Stakes
It's that time of year again! Vitor Belfort is poised for a title shot. If he can beat Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (big if), he will almost certainly cut the line for yet another crack at the gold.
The Question
Will Vitor Belfort once again force his way into title contention?
Analysis
You know that one person who is in a bad relationship where they just get let hurt over and over again but just keep coming back to their significant other? That's what the UFC has going on with Belfort.
Competitively, Belfort has always struggled to overcome any hint of adversity and tends to break under pressure. It was true in 1997 when Randy Couture knocked him out. It was true in 2006 when Dan Henderson dominated him. And he showed it's still true today, with his poor effort against Chris Weidman at UFC 187.
Still, here it is. If Belfort wins at UFC 198, he's almost guaranteed a rematch with middleweight champ Luke Rockhold, whom he beat in 2013. Sad day...
Can Stipe Miocic Pull This Off?
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The Fight: Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic
The Real Fight: Stipe Miocic vs. The Absurd Idea of a Champion Coming from Cleveland
The Stakes
Stipe Miocic's time to shine has arrived. At UFC 198, he will challenge Fabricio Werdum for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. If he wins, his career soars to previously unthinkable heights. If he loses, he likely will never get a title shot again.
The Question
Can Stipe Miocic pull this off?
Analysis
This should be a good one. Werdum is, perhaps, the most overrated champion in the UFC today. Regarded by many as virtually unstoppable, his inconsistent cardio, advanced age (38) and lack of defensive striking skills (Cain Velasquez hit him 88 times in 12 minutes) are often overlooked during the gushing about his amazing grappling.
Miocic, meanwhile, is among the most underappreciated fighters in MMA today. Labeled by many as a brawler, he is in fact a technically sound boxer who owns a deceptively strong wrestling game (he had no difficulty taking Mark Hunt down last year).
Of course, being underrated or overrated has no impact on how the fight will play out. Fans will just have to wait and see how these two match up Saturday night.
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