UFC Fight Night 95 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into Fight Night 96
UFC Fight Night 95 is in the books. The results are as follows:
Main Card on Fox Sports 1 (10 p.m. ET)
- Cris Cyborg def. Lina Lansberg, TKO (Round 2, 2:29)
- Renan Barao def. Phillipe Nover, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Roy Nelson def. Antonio Silva, KO (Round 2, 4:10)
- Francisco Trinaldo def. Paul Felder, TKO (Round 3, 2:25)
- Eric Spicely def. Thiago Santos, submission (Round 1, 2:58)
- Godofredo Pepey def. Mike De La Torre, submission (Round 1, 3:03)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1 (8 p.m. ET)
- Michel Prazeres def. Gilbert Burns, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Rani Yahya def. Michinori Tanaka, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jussier Formiga def. Dustin Ortiz, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27, 29-28)
- Erick Silva def. Luan Chagas, submission (Round 3, 3:57)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass (6:30 p.m. ET)
- Alan Patrick def. Stevie Ray, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Vicente Luque def. Hector Urbina, knockout (Round 1, 1:00)
- Gregor Gillespie def. Glaico Franca, unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Next up? Fight Night 96 on Saturday from Portland, Oregon.
An electrifying bantamweight fight between John Lineker and John Dodson will carry this card a long way, but it gets a bit of help from former Bellator champ Will Brooks and flyweight contender Louis Smolka. Past that, though? Ugh.
So what are the most important questions that this card will answer? Find out here.
What's the Deal with This Four-Fight Main Card?
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The Fight: N/A
The Real Fight: Fox Sports 1 vs. UFC?
The Stakes
Just two weeks removed from the question of "Is the UFC already phasing out Fox Sports 1 cards," fans and pundits have another question about the UFC-Fox relationship to mull over...
The Question
What's the deal with this four-fight main card?
Analysis
It's tough to pin down what's going on here. At face value, we can dismiss this just an anomaly. We can attribute the four-fight main card to the late start (kicking off at 11 p.m. ET), which can be attributed to the NASCAR show that will encroach on the regularly scheduled UFC time. No big deal, right?
But is this a sign of things to come? Is Fox Sports 1 going to start regularly booking NASCAR or NCAA football over UFC events? Is this due, in part, to the weakness of the card?
That's going to be interesting to watch.
Is Louis Smolka the Guy to Take the Title off Demetrious Johnson?
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The Fight: Louis Smolka vs. Brandon Moreno
The Real Fight: Louis Smolka vs. Getting Some Appreciation Around Here!
The Stakes
In a division defined by its lack of contenders, Hawaiian Louis Smolka (11-1) looks like he could be the first true challenge to flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson in a long time. Riding a four-fight winning streak, Smolka looks to continue generating momentum at the expense of The Ultimate Fighter 24 washout Brandon Moreno.
The Question
Is Louis Smolka the guy to take the title off Demetrious Johnson?
Analysis
Since coming out on the bad end of a narrow split decision opposite Chris Cariaso in 2014, Smolka has looked downright excellent. Even that loss can be forgiven, given how underrated Cariaso is and how young in both his career and his athletic growth Smolka was. His UFC career, to this point, has gone about as well as it could have.
The only thing standing between Smolka and a title shot is the champ's schedule. Johnson is booked through December due to TUF24, which will determine his next challenger. If Smolka can win this, however, he should be right at the front of the line for a title shot in early 2017.
Can Will Brooks Post a Stronger Performance?
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The Fight: Will Brooks vs. Alex Oliveira
The Real Fight: Will Brooks vs. Underwhelming First Impressions
The Stakes
After an ugly divorce from Bellator, "Ill" Will Brooks debuted in the UFC with a solid win over respected veteran Ross Pearson. A solid win over a respected veteran, however, wasn't enough to live up to the hype Brooks had entering the promotion. Set to face Alex Oliveira, he'll need to post a dominant win in order to recapture the magic he had entering the promotion.
The Question
Can Will Brooks post a stronger performance?
Analysis
Brooks beat Michael Chandler twice. Chandler, arguably, beat current UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez twice. Theoretically, Brooks should be an elite lightweight.
He didn't really look like one at the TUF23 Finale, though. Sure, Pearson is a formidable fighter and isn't an easy out for anybody, but he's been beaten more convincingly by worse fighters than Brooks on multiple occasions.
So was the hype surrounding Brooks much ado about nothing, or was he just too cautious during his UFC debut? This is the biggest question entering this event, and a definitive answer should be forthcoming.
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Does John Dodson Still Have a Place at 135 Pounds?
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The Fight: John Lineker vs. John Dodson
The Real Fight: John Dodson vs. A Rapidly Changing Division
The Stakes
John Dodson was an elite flyweight but found himself locked away from title contention due to his two losses to reigning champ Demetrious Johnson. He looked to find new life in the UFC's bantamweight division, where he owned a win at then-champion TJ Dillashaw. Unfortunately for him, the bantamweight division has undergone a bit of a renaissance over the last 12 months including Dillashaw dropping the title and a number of young up-and-comers stealing Dodson's thunder.
That begs the question...
The Question
Does John Dodson still have a place at 135 pounds?
Analysis
When news first broke that Dodson was moving back to 135 pounds, it was met with excitement. The Greg Jackson-trained fighter is one of the best knockout artists in the lower weight classes and proved that his power holds up when he ran through Dillashaw.
The last six months, however, have seen the 135-pound division radically change.
A slew of fighters have smashed their way into the rankings including Cody Garbrandt, Thomas Almeida and Jimmie Rivera. Dominick Cruz has taken the title and has neither history nor great reason to angle for a fight with Dodson. In addition, a number of fellow veterans have begun picking up momentum, including Bryan Caraway and Eddie Wineland.
All that works against Dodson, and the only way he can start regaining relevance is by knocking off fellow former flyweight contender John Lineker.
Can John Lineker's Rise Continue?
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The Fight: John Lineker vs. John Dodson
The Real Fight: John Lineker vs. Maintaining Momentum
The Stakes
John Lineker has looked excellent at 135 pounds, and when we take into account his winning streak from 125 pounds, he is on one of the best winning streaks in the division. Add to that the fact that he has established himself as one of the best action fighters in the division, and he has a clear path to the title. All he needs to do is pick up another win or two over high-end opposition like John Dodson.
The Question
Can John Lineker's rise continue?
Analysis
It's easy to love Lineker now that his weight-cutting issues are behind him. He's basically the second coming of Pride-era Takanori Gomi.
As discussed, things are competitive right now at 135 pounds, but Lineker has the inside track on most contenders when it comes to a title shot. All he needs to do is keep on keepin' on.
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