UFC 205 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into Fight Nights 99, 100
UFC 205 is in the books. The results are as follows:
- UFC Lightweight Championship: Conor McGregor defeats Eddie Alvarez by KO at 3:04 of the second round
- UFC Welterweight Championship: Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson fight to a majority draw (47-47, 47-47, 48-47)
- UFC Strawweight Championship: Joanna Jedrzejczyk defeats Karolina Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
- Yoel Romero def. Chris Weidman by TKO at 0:24 of the third round
- Raquel Pennington def. Miesha Tate by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Frankie Edgar def. Jeremy Stephens by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Michael Johnson via submission (kimura) at 2:31 of the third round
- Tim Boetsch def. Rafael Natal by TKO at 3:22 of the first round
- Vicente Luque def. Belal Muhammad by KO at 1:19 of the first round
- Jim Miller def. Thiago Alves by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
- Liz Carmouche def. Katlyn Chookagian by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Next up? A doubleheader of Fight Nights on Saturday.
With one set to take place in Belfast, North Ireland in the afternoon and another set for night time in Brazil, UFC fans will have plenty of fights to choose from. While no big names are attached to either event, there is still some intrigue to be found in hot young upstarts and a couple of contenders.
So what questions are burning for answers? Read on and find out.
Which Brazilian Prospects Will Get Back on Track?
1 of 5
Event: Fight Night 100
The Fight: Warlley Alves vs. Kamaru Usman, Sergio Moraes vs. Zak Ottow, Thomas Almeida vs. Albert Morales, etc.
The Real Fight: Brazil vs. The World
The Stakes
UFC Fight Night 100 features a number of fighters who, at one time or another, were hot prospects but are now coming off tough losses. Many of them have an easy matchup here but are just one loss away from being an anonymous warm body in an overfilled roster.
The Question
Which Brazilian prospects will get back on track?
Analysis
Many fighters on the Fight Night 100 card fit into this group, but the biggest name of the bunch is Thomas Almeida. The bantamweight prospect began his UFC career with four straight wins, but Cody Garbrandt stole his hype in May.
He needs to right the ship here, as they all do. If he can't, he faces what could be a yearslong setback.
Will Teruto Ishihara Post Another Devastating KO?
2 of 5
Event: Fight Night 99
The Fight: Artem Lobov vs. Teruto Ishihara
The Real Fight: Teruto Ishihara vs. The World
The Stakes
Teruto "Yashabou" Ishihara has a great deal of momentum heading into Fight Night 99 and has a favorable opponent in the .500 fighter Artem Lobov. With that in mind, the question isn't if Ishihara can keep on winning. The question is...
The Question
Will Teruto Ishihara post another devastating KO?
Analysis
The Ultimate Fighter tends to be terrible, but it has produced a few interesting prospects in recent years. Ishihara, who came off TUF spinoff Road to UFC: Japan, is one of them.
He entered the UFC as a former Shooto slugger but has since evolved into one of the most interesting prospects at 145 pounds by joining California's Team Alpha Male camp, and posting two savage knockout wins. On top of that in-cage success, he has carved out a brand as a wacky playboy with over-the-top interviews and must-follow social media accounts.
There's a lot to love about Yashabou, and the UFC seems to realize that. A win over Lobov won't necessarily move him any closer to the title, but there has never been any harm in grooming a talented 24-year-old and helping him build up a highlight reel for when he does eventually get that big push.
How Will Claudia Gadelha Look Post-Joanna Jedrzejczyk?
3 of 5
Event: Fight Night 100
The Fight: Claudia Gadelha vs. Cortney Casey
The Real Fight: Claudia Gadelha vs. Anyone But Joanna Jedrzejczyk
The Stakes
Claudia Gadelha has fallen into the worst kind of rut there is in the UFC: the Joseph Benavidez rut. As the clear-cut second-best fighter in the division and with two losses to a dominant champion, she finds herself set to ride a long road of inconsequential fights. Her first pit stop? UFC Fight Night 100 for a bout with Cortney Casey.
The Question
How will Claudia Gadelha look post-Joanna Jedrzejczyk?
Analysis
Gadelha has looked generally excellent in the cage to this point and gave reigning champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk the toughest fight of her career in July. She is the biggest threat to Jedrezjczyk's throne, but with two losses already on her record, a threematch simply won't happen without a big shake-up at the top of the division.
Casey has nothing to offer Gadelha, and because of that, this fight feels like busywork for the Brazilian. Unfortunately, busywork is all that's available for her at the moment.
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Will Gegard Mousasi Finally Force His Way into Contention?
4 of 5
Event: Fight Night 99
The Fight: Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall 2
The Real Fight: Gegard Mousasi vs. Getting Uriah Halled Again
The Stakes
Gegard Mousasi is closer to a UFC title shot than he ever has been. The one big knock against him, however, is his 2015 loss to Uriah Hall. He has the rare opportunity to get his win back at UFC Fight Night 99, however, and could potentially cut ahead of newly minted top contender Yoel Romero with a win.
The Question
Will Gegard Mousasi finally force his way into contention?
Analysis
Hall is a known commodity at this point. He's a home run hitter who will knock any juicy pitch into the next state. But if he doesn't get it, he's guaranteed to strike out looking.
Sometimes that sees him coast to a loss against a subpar John Howard. Sometimes that sees him peel off an opponent's face with a single punch. Mousasi, despite being the better overall fighter with the longer resume, was knocked out cold by a vicious sequence when the two faced off in Japan.
The loss didn't hurt Mousasi all that much, but it did knock him back in line a few spots. Now three wins removed from that fight and with former champions Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman currently indisposed, he has a clear path to the title.
A win over Hall would give him a good boost in the short-term. If he can pull it off, big things may be around the corner for him.
Can Ryan Bader Avoid a Career-Ruining Loss?
5 of 5
Event: Fight Night 100
The Fight: Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
The Real Fight: Ryan Bader vs. Falling into a Cliff
The Stakes
With the memory of his brutal January loss to Anthony Johnson still fresh in fans' minds, Ryan Bader is in a tricky spot. Set to face a 40-year-old Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, a win will do nothing for him, while a loss would end his days as a high-level competitor.
The Question
Can Ryan Bader avoid a career-ruining loss?
Analysis
What a cruel sport...
A year ago, Bader was the top contender at 205 pounds. Today? He's the B-side to a retirement fight for someone who has never won a major title.
The American has nothing to gain here but everything to lose. It's tough to rationalize why the UFC would make this fight and why Bader's management team would accept it.
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