UFC Fight Night 96 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into UFC 204
UFC Fight Night 96 is in the books. Saturday's results are as follows:
- John Lineker defeats John Dodson by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
- Alex Oliveira defeats Will Brooks by TKO at 3:30 of the third round
- Zak Ottow defeats Josh Burkman by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Brandon Moreno defeats Louis Smolka via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:23 of the first round
- Luis Henrique da Silva defeats Joachim Christensen via submission (armbar) at 4:43 of the second round
- Andre Fili defeats Hacran Dias by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Shamil Abdurakhimov defeats Walt Harris by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos defeats Keita Nakamura by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Nate Marquardt defeats Tamdan McCrory by KO at 4:44 of the second round
- Ion Cutelaba defeats Jonathan Wilson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Curtis Blaydes defeats Cody East by TKO at 2:02 of the second round
- Ketlen Vieira defeats Kelly Faszholz by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Next up? UFC 204 from Manchester, United Kingdom, on Saturday.
The UFC has put together a card that wouldn't look out of place as a Fight Night event, except for the UFC middleweight title being on the line, and is asking fans to pay for it! What a year!
Still, there is intrigue in the Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson rematch as well as some interesting young fighters up and down the card.
So what are the burning questions for this show? Find out here.
What Will We See from Davey Grant?
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The Fight: Davey Grant vs. Damian Stasiak
The Real Fight: Davey Grant vs. So Many Injuries
The Stakes
Davey Grant is one of the few fighters left from The Ultimate Fighter Season 18, but he remains an unknown commodity three years since the show's finale. Seemingly back on track from a physical standpoint, the 30-year-old Brit needs to make up for lost time by scoring a big win over Damian Stasiak.
The Question
What will we see from Davey Grant?
Analysis
Grant was one of the most interesting male talents on TUF18, and that didn't change when he came up short against Chris Holdsworth in the finals of the men's tournament. Unfortunately, he disappeared for more than two years after that loss, with the MMA world largely forgetting he ever existed as a result.
He finally returned in February with an emphatic win over Marlon Vera and now looks to actually gain some momentum at UFC 204. If he can be similarly dominant here, he may just force his way into the pileup of hot young talent at 135 pounds.
Can Stefan Struve Force His Way into Title Contention?
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The Fight: Stefan Struve vs. Daniel Omielanczuk
The Real Fight: Stefan Struve vs. Lost Time
The Stakes
In 2011-2012, Stefan Struve became a bona fide title contender in the heavyweight division by submitting fan favorite Pat Barry, tapping out surging knockout artist Lavar Johnson, derailing Dave Herman and, above all else, knocking at-the-time hot prospect Stipe Miocic (and now UFC heavyweight champion) out cold.
Needless to say, that's an interesting distinction in a wide-open heavyweight division. While he has some tough competition, it's worth wondering...
The Question
Can Stefan Struve force his way into title contention?
Analysis
It sounds absurd. Struve has a lot of losses to his name from a lot of big stars. But it only takes a couple of wins and some good luck to get a title shot in the heavyweight division. With Cain Velasquez eternally smitten by injuries and few compelling or especially lucrative options past him, Struve might have an opportunity with another win or two.
Daniel Omielanczuk is far from a big name or a legitimate contender, but there are worse heavyweights out there. If Struve can pick up a good win and follow up with a victory over a slumping veteran, he might just fall into a title shot.
Is Vitor Belfort About to Get a Title Shot?
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The Fight: Vitor Belfort vs. Gegard Mousasi
The Real Fight: Vitor Belfort vs. The Legitimacy of the Sport
The Stakes
Regardless of who wins in the UFC 204 main event, Vitor Belfort will have a win (or wins) over either Bisping or Henderson.
Given the UFC's long history of looking the other way (or actively covering things up) when it comes to the Brazilian, it's easy to imagine him potentially getting an immediate title shot if he defeats Gegard Mousasi.
The Question
Is Vitor Belfort about to get a title shot?
Analysis
Everyone can envision this happening, right? Frankly, it makes more sense than Henderson getting a title shot. Belfort is still a big name in Brazil and does have a lot of wins over modern contenders. He's always just one well-timed win away from contending for the belt again.
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Is Gegard Mousasi Forcing His Way into Contention?
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The Fight: Vitor Belfort vs. Gegard Mousasi
The Real Fight: Gegard Mousasi vs. The Hump
The Stakes
Gegard Mousasi has always been good but has kept himself clear of contention with poorly timed losses. A win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 204, however, could be what he needs to finally stick his head into the title picture.
The Question
Is Gegard Mousasi forcing his way into contention?
Analysis
Mousasi is very good. He has rarely looked out of his depth, even against elite competition, and has rarely looked bad in defeat. His worst loss, to Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, is actually offset by a past win over the Brazilian. All in all, he has strong positioning in the middleweight division. The only things that have eluded him are wins over big names.
That could change here, and if so, it could launch him into the title picture for the first time in his UFC career.
What If Hendo Wins?
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The Fight: Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson
The Real Fight: Dan Henderson vs. The Legitimacy of the UFC Middleweight Title
The Stakes
Just a few months ago, Dan Henderson was angling for a desk job with the UFC. Now he's challenging for the middleweight title. At 46 years old, he was already running on fumes, but if he manages to take the belt, he may just take it to the (metaphorical) retirement home with him.
The Question
What if Hendo wins?
Analysis
The fight between Henderson and Bisping is straight out of a storybook, but boy, it doesn't make any sense past that.
The value of the UFC title is at an all-time low, with just two champions who are indisputably the best in their weight class. Worse yet, two of the company's champions don't even hold the lineal championship, and one of them (Conor McGregor) may or may not ever defend his throne. Legitimacy at the top of divisions is at a premium these days, but Henderson is poised to drag the value of UFC titles down to a low not seen since the early days of Zuffa if he wins.
It's already difficult to justify Hendo being the top contender, given the lack of success in his second UFC run and his recent losses to fellow contenders. But if he manages to win (which isn't out of the question, giving his stopping power) and then takes the middleweight belt home with him and never brings it back to the cage?
Well, that would just kind of render all future titles in the division obsolete.
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