UFC 199 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into UFC Fight Night 89
UFC 199 is in the books. The results are as follows:
UFC 199 Main Card
- Michael Bisping def. Luke Rockhold, TKO (Round 1, 3:36)
- Dominick Cruz def. Urijah Faber, unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
- Max Holloway def. Ricardo Lamas, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Dan Henderson def. Hector Lombard, knockout (Round 2, 1:27)
- Dustin Poirier def. Bobby Green, knockout (Round 1, 2:53)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Brian Ortega def. Clay Guida, TKO (Round 3, 4:40)
- Beneil Dariush def. James Vick, knockout (Round 1, 4:16)
- Jessica Andrade def. Jessica Penne, TKO (Round 2, 2:56)
- Alex Caceres def. Cole Miller, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Sean Strickland def. Tom Breese, split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Luiz Henrique da Silva def. Jonathan Wilson, TKO (Round 2, 4:11)
- Kevin Casey vs. Elvis Mutapcic, split draw (28-29, 29-28, 28-28)
- Marco Polo Reyes def. Dong Hyun Kim, knockout (Round 3, 1:52)
Next up? UFC Fight Night 89.
It doesn't have the big names that UFC 199 did, but boy are there a lot of good fights on this card.
The main event is likely a welterweight top contender bout between Rory MacDonald and Stephen Thompson. Right behind it is an exciting welterweight fight between former title contenders Donald Cerrone and Patrick Cote. As if that wasn't enough, there are a number of exciting prospects, up-and-comers and potential contenders set to face off.
So what are the burning questions for this card? Read on and find out.
Which Middleweight Will Get Their Footing Back?
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The Fight: Elias Theodorou vs. Sam Alvey
The Real Fight: Two Dudes in Need of a Win vs. The UFC Matchmaking System
The Stakes
Elias Theodorou and Sam Alvey had it all: big wins, exciting styles and fun gimmicks. Then they lost in ugly fashion to Thiago Santos and Derek Brunson, respectively.
While that would traditionally call for a tune-up match, the UFC isn't keen on keeping interesting fighters around for very long. As such, they'll face off at UFC Fight Night 89 with their credibility on the line, and one of their reputations is likely to suffer irreparable damage.
The Question
Which middleweight will get their footing back?
Analysis
Ugh. What an awful fight.
Sure, it made sense back when both men were riding winning streaks. Now, though? They should be fighting one of the dozens of anonymous, interchangeable commodities the UFC has on staff.
The fans don't get anything out of this. The fighters most certainly don't. The only party involved that actually benefits from this fight is the UFC, which can muscle the loser around when the time comes to negotiate a new contract.
Will Anything Come of the First Women's Flyweight Fight in the UFC?
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The Fight: Valerie Letourneau vs. Joanne Calderwood
The Real Fight: UFC vs. Difficult Decisions
The Stakes
Valerie Letourneau vs. Joanne Calderwood is a high-stakes affair all on its own. Letourneau desperately needs to re-establish herself as a contender after getting dominated by Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 193, while Calderwood needs to pick up some momentum following her win over Cortney Casey last year.
What makes this fight particularly interesting, however, is the fact that it is being contested at 125 pounds, a weight the UFC doesn't currently support for women. That begs a question.
The Question
Will anything come of the first women's flyweight fight in the UFC?
Analysis
From a competitive standpoint, the UFC absolutely needs a women's flyweight division (and an atomweight division). There are far too many bantamweights fighting above their ideal weight (Jessica Eye, Leslie Smith, Rin Nakai) and far too many strawweights that endure brutal cuts down to 115 pounds (Letourneau being chief among them).
Promotionally, however, the UFC doesn't seem to want to support more than two women's divisions. It already struggles to keep its current roster active, and it would need to add a slate of new talent in order to staff another weight class. What's more, it doesn't necessarily benefit from adding a flyweight division in the same way it did from adding the 115-pound class, which is packed with international talent.
Still, it's hard to shake the feeling that the UFC is going to add an 11th division. Fans will just have to wait and see if this proves to be true.
Is Patrick Cote Closing in on a Cinderella Story?
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The Fight: Donald Cerrone vs. Patrick Cote
The Real Fight: Patrick Cote vs. Destiny?
The Stakes
At 36 years old, Patrick Cote seems to have finally hit his stride. Riding a solid three-fight winning streak, he may be set to jump into the top 10 at 170 pounds with an emphatic win over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.
The Question
Is Patrick Cote closing in on a Cinderella story?
Analysis
Cote has it all. Striking skills? Wrestling? Grappling? Experience? Cardio? Yes, all around. The only thing he doesn't have going for him is marketability, and that could change at UFC Fight Night 89. Cerrone is a major player in the UFC, and with an emphatic win, Cote could get the rub he needs to start getting consistently high placement on cards.
It's a tall order, for sure. But he should be up to the task.
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Can Stephen Thompson Force His Way into Title Contention?
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The Fight: Rory MacDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
The Real Fight: Stephen Thompson vs. Bad Timing
The Stakes
A strong case can be made that Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson should be set to face Robbie Lawler for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 201 instead of Tyron Woodley. He has the skills (his striking is arguably the best in the game today, and his wrestling defense has proven to be steely). He has the winning streak (six in a row). He has the names on his resume (Johny Hendricks and Robert Whittaker).
If he adds a win over Rory MacDonald to his list of accomplishments, it will be impossible to deny him.
The Question
Can Stephen Thompson force his way into title contention?
Analysis
Thompson has been a treat to watch to this point, and it's hard to come up with an explanation for why he isn't fighting for a title. For once, though, it's hard to complain about getting to see two of the sport's best face off in an exciting, high-stakes bout.
Is This Rory MacDonald's Last UFC Fight?
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The Fight: Rory MacDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
The Real Fight: Rory MacDonald vs. The UFC
The Stakes
Rory MacDonald is on the last fight of his contract and has made it clear that he is very dissatisfied with his standing in the UFC. With that in mind, he is eyeing free agency after his fight with Stephen Thompson, and if he wins, he will easily be the biggest name to hit the market since Fedor Emelianenko in 2009.
The Question
Is this Rory MacDonald's last UFC fight?
Analysis
Here's what MacDonald told MMA Fighting back in March:
"I want to make the most money I can. I want to get paid for what I bring to the table. I've sacrificed a lot to get to the top, to the world title. I really sacrificed, and I took a lot of chances. I did a lot of favors, I felt like, for the UFC and I don't think it got returned. So now it's all about making money, and whoever wants to pay me the most is where I'll go.
"
While the UFC has lost a few names in the last year, most notably former lightweight champ Benson Henderson, MacDonald is a unique commodity. He is young (just 26 years old), owns wins over a number of contenders (Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia and Nate Diaz) and is important to the Canadian market. (He's basically the only active, elite-level fighter from Canada in the sport today).
Depending on how the UFC 201 main event shakes out, he could very well be the No. 1 welterweight in the sport by the end of the season.
That makes his fight with Thompson critical on a number of levels. News will likely break about his contract situation entering the fight and afterward. Make sure to keep an eye out.
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