UFC 200 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into UFC Fight Night 91
UFC 200 is in the books. The results are as follows, per Bleacher Report's own Craig Amos:
UFC 200 Main Card
- Amanda Nunes def. Miesha Tate, submission (Round 1, 3:16)
- Brock Lesnar def. Mark Hunt, unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
- Daniel Cormier def. Anderson Silva, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
- Jose Aldo def. Frankie Edgar, unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
- Cain Velasquez def. Travis Browne, TKO (Round 1, 4:57)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Julianna Pena def. Cat Zingano, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Kelvin Gastelum def. Johny Hendricks, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- TJ Dillashaw def. Raphael Assuncao, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Sage Northcutt def. Enrique Marin, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Joe Lauzon def. Diego Sanchez, TKO (Round 1, 1:26)
- Gegard Mousasi def. Thiago Santos, knockout (Round 1, 4:32)
- Jim Miller def. Takanori Gomi, TKO (Round 1, 2:18)
Next up? UFC Fight Night 91.
If this card feels like a massive downgrade from UFC 200...that's because it is. And not just because UFC 200 was the best top-to-bottom card in UFC history, either. The FN91 main event of Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa fell apart due to an injury suffered by Chiesa, and that has seriously detracted from the overall value of the card.
Still, there is some name value to be found and some fun to be had here. So what are the five biggest questions to be found across this card? Read on and find out.
Can Lauren Murphy Finally Gain Some Momentum?
1 of 5
The Fight: Lauren Murphy vs. Katlyn Chookagian
The Real Fight: Lauren Murphy vs. Getting Some Respect Around Here!
The Stakes
Former Invicta FC champion Lauren Murphy has been repeatedly victimized by poor judging, but earned her first win in the UFC back in February over Kelly Faszholz. Now she needs to try to actually build up a winning streak by beating Katlyn Chookagian.
The Question
Can Lauren Murphy Finally Gain Some Momentum?
Analysis
Murphy hasn't been able to catch a break in her UFC career thus far. She came out on the bad end of a questionable split decision against Sara McMann in her UFC debut, and was outright robbed in her fight against Liz Carmouche. That has made her days as Invicta champion and a consensus top-10 name all but a distant memory.
That said, thanks in large part to UFC 200, the women's bantamweight division is a complete mess. It only takes a couple of wins to open the door to ranked opposition, and a win over Chookagian could get Murphy a date with Raquel Pennington or Cat Zingano. And from there? Who knows?
Which Flyweight Will Jump into the Top 10?
2 of 5
The Fight: Louis Smolka vs. Ben Nguyen
The Real Fight: Flyweight Prospect vs. Flyweight Prospect
The Stakes
Louis Smolka and Ben Nguyen are both poised to jump into the top 10 with a win at Fight Night 91. Unfortunately, there's only one win to go around...
The Question
Which Flyweight Will Jump into the Top 10?
Analysis
Smolka is 24 years old and owns a 4-1 UFC record, with his most recent win being a submission of Paddy Holohan. Nguyen is 2-0 in the Octagon, with both wins coming via first-round stoppage. Fans and pundits ought to be incredibly bullish on both men going forward. Whoever wins, though, is on their way to building up what could be a title-shot-earning resume.
How Will Alexey Oleinik Look in His Return?
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The Fight: Alexey Oleinik vs. Daniel Omielanczuk
The Real Fight: Alexey Oleinik vs. The Inconsistent Romanization of His Name
The Stakes
Alexey Oleinik—also known as Oleksiy Oliynyk, also known as Aleksei Oleinik, also known as the Boa Constrictor—is back after a 20-month-long absence. Thirty-nine years old but riding an impressive 11-fight winning streak, it is anyone's guess what the grappling master has to offer at this point. As such, his return fight against Daniel Omielanczuk should be an interesting one.
The Question
How Will Alexey Oleinik Look in His Return?
Analysis
Oleinik has flown under western MMA radars for years now, but grappling nerds are encouraged to go look at his extensive library of fights. He has 41 submission wins to his name and has finished fights with 11 different techniques. Some are standard fare like triangle chokes and armbars, some are incredibly rare like his Ezekiel chokes and scarf hold armlocks. Some come from Japanese jujutsu, some come from combat sambo.
The Russian is as crafty as they come, and that makes his return intriguing. He's never been an amazing athlete, but knows every trick in the book up close and has enough pop in his hands to keep things interesting from afar.
He gets a tough, but manageable, draw in Omielanczuk. If he can post a good win over the Polish fighter, he might just be able to jump his way up into some fun matchups.
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Is John Lineker About to Jump into a Title Shot?
4 of 5
The Fight: Michael McDonald vs. John Lineker
The Real Fight: John Lineker vs. Maintaining Momentum
The Stakes
Since ditching the flyweight division and its brutal weight cut, power-puncher John Lineker is looking like an absolute force at 135 pounds. He has the chance to jump into the top 10 here if he can defeat Michael McDonald.
The Question
Is John Lineker About to Jump into a Title Shot?
Analysis
Lineker's struggles at the scale diminished what was actually an impressive 6-2 run in the flyweight division and now that he has put that behind him, fans and UFC brass can finally appreciate the Brazilian slugger. He returned to the bantamweight division at UFC 191 by submitting Francisco Rivera, and continued to impress at UFC 198 by dominating Rob Font.
With his recent success and an impending collapse of the bantamweight rankings, Lineker finds himself in an incredibly advantageous position. McDonald is greatly overvalued on the UFC rankings (more on that later), sitting at No. 5, with No. 3 Raphael Assuncao and No. 2 Urijah Faber both about to slide back several places.
If Lineker wins, and wins big, he may find himself just one more fight away from title contention.
How Good Is Michael McDonald?
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The Fight: Michael McDonald vs. John Lineker
The Real Fight: Michael McDonald vs. Clear Standing in the Division
The Stakes
Michael McDonald returned from a two-year layoff in January at UFC 195 by choking out Masanori Kanehara. While it was an electrifying win, however, serious questions remain about where he fits into today's 135-pound rankings and whether or not his skills hold up against the current crop of bantamweight contenders.
The Question
How Good Is Michael McDonald?
Analysis
Here's what the bantamweight rankings looked like just before McDonald's physical breakdown began:
- Renan Barao (interim champion)
- Urijah Faber
- Michael McDonald
- Raphael Assuncao
- Eddie Wineland
- Brad Pickett
- Scott Jorgensen
- TJ Dillashaw
- Mike Easton
- Takeya Mizugaki
Needless to say, 135 pounds is quite different these days. And needless to say, it's a whole heck of a lot better.
That makes it ridiculous that McDonald, whose biggest win came over Miguel Torres (a name few MMA fans even remember at this point) in 2012, is sitting at No. 5 in the rankings. What makes it absolutely ridiculous, however, is how he returned to that spot despite an unimpressive effort against Kanehara, where he spent nearly the entire fight working off his back.
It's possible that McDonald deserves that spot. He has long been regarded as an elite-level prospect and seemingly remains a dynamic finisher.
Still, at this moment, McDonald is an unproven commodity, and anything short of a dominant win will fall short of the expectations that go along with his current standing.
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