Five Questions Heading Into Ultimate Fight Night 22

Prior to next week's Ultimate Fight Night 22, there are several questions heading into the event that certainly will have viewers tuning in. The card will be headlined by middleweight contenders Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares.

The main card will also feature other up and coming talent such as Ross Pearson, Gleison Tibau and Efrain Escudero.

There are some interesting storylines for fighters entering the Octagon on Sept. 15 and some have higher implications than others.

For some fighters, winning their bouts could result in more competitive fights and a loss for others, might find themselves a slip or two down the ladder in their respective division.

Here are five questions that will be answered at Ultimate Fight Night 22.

No.5: Can Yves Edwards Make A Comeback In UFC Lightweight Division?

The 33-year old will make his long awaited return to UFC after almost four years. The last time Edwards entered the Octagon he lost to Joe Stevenson via (T)KO in the second round.

From there he would go on to compete in other organizations like Strikeforce, Elite XC and Bellator. Edwards tenure in UFC has been up and down to say the least, since debuting at UFC 33 he's recorded six wins and four losses.

Since his loss to Stevenson, Edwards has been six for six in his last 12 fights.

It looks like he'll have one last shot at glory when he returns to take on John Grunderson, a veteran of the now defunct IFL.

Edwards has recently been training with American Top Team looking to climb the ranks of the lightweight division, but how much gas does he have left?

He has defeated the likes of Hermes Franca and Josh Thompson, picking up a victory over John Grunderson might not attract fans but it will earn him recognition and a place in UFC lightweight division.

No.4: What Does A Win Do For Ross Pearson?

Since winning The Ultimate Fight 9, Ross Pearson has been on a roll in UFC.

The Sunderland, England native has gone 3-0 and won Fight of The Night honors earlier this year at UFN 21 following an entertaining bout with German lightweight Denis Silver.

The British fighter was even able to get added onto the main card of UFC 105 in his country, showcasing his stand up skills and earning a (T)KO victory over Aaron Riley.

Should Pearson be able to get past his opponent, Cole Miller, it is possible to see Pearson get a bump up in the competition. Perhaps he faces off against Joe Stevenson or Joe Lauzon.

No. 3: Is Escudero The Real Deal?

From one TUF winner to another, Escudero is a talented fighter and showcased his improving skill set on season 8 of TUF.

He's gone 4-1 since winning TUF and has competed against exceptional talent in Evan Dunham and Dan Lauzon.

When he graces UFC audiences with his presence next week, he will be facing off against Brazilian prospect Charles Oliveira, who is 13-0 so far in his MMA career.

Oliveira impressed UFC fans when he took on Darren Elkins last month at Ultimate Fight Night 21. The Brazilian-Jiu Jitsu brown belt displayed his submission skills and tapped out Elkins 41 seconds in the opening round.

Both fighters are entertaining and prospects UFC management will surely have their eyes on, should Escudero get past the BJJ skills of Oliveira, he could look to have a promising career in UFC lightweight division.

No.2: Will Nate Marquardt Become A #1 Contender In Middleweight Division?

The well-rounded Marquardt has been touted by fans and even Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva to reign over UFC middleweight division in the future.

Those are some bold words, especially coming from Silva. That could very well be the case, should Marquardt pick up a victory at UFN 22.

The three-time Pancrase Middleweight Champion has had a remarkable tenure so far in UFC, earning wins against Dean Lister, Demian Maia and Jeremy Horn.

Although he shouldn't look past his opponent Rousimar Palhares. Palhares is a technically sound BJJ expert holding a black belt and picking up eight of his 13 victories by submission.

While a win over Palhares might not exactly get him squaring off with Anderson Silva just yet, it will certainly put him in contention.

No.1: Will UFN 22 Be A Disappointment?

UFN 22 is looking to be an impressive card full of up and coming talent, but it could hit a potential roadblock with the ratings. This event has been injury plagued and it has resulted in potential fights either being canceled or moved to other fight cards.

Originally the main event was Maia vs. Belcher, a potential boost in competition was in line for either competitor but Belcher was removed from the card after undergoing eye surgery.

This resulted in Marquardt vs. Palhares serving as the main event of this card and Demian Maia being put on UFC 118 against Mario Miranda.

In an event that UFC hoped would showcase a future contender in the middleweight division, has now backfired and will have to deal with what they've got.

After desperately seeking replacements, how will fans react to a different looking card?

The addition of Nate Marquardt might just be enough to save UFC from a potential disappointing showing in the television ratings.