November is here, and the UFC has a full slate. It starts this coming Saturday with a Fight Night at the Apex. After that is the big one, UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden, topped by two title fights. The month ends with a return to Qatar, with not one, not two, but three premier fights.
That being said, here are three pressing questions ahead of this stretch.
3) How Will Stephen Thompson Be Remembered?
Many have not know it until recently, but Stephen Thompson’s UFC 334 fight against Charles Radtke will actually be the last of his career. In an interview with Full Mount MMA, the former two-time welterweight challenger explained that entering parenthood factored into his decision:
“When you have a little one that comes in, it’s such a big responsibility. UFC pulls you away from all that in different directions. I’ve seen professional fighters try to deal with that with a family on top of it, and it’s difficult.”
As Thompson prepares to enter the Octagon for the last time, questions will inevitably abound about what legacy he will leave behind. Is it that of a karate savant who had one of the best win streaks in welterweight history, then pushed Tyron Woodley to the limit twice? Is it that of an action fighter who presented one of the most stylistically beautiful matchups of the past ten years? Maybe it is of a man who had a brutal decline after 2020, winning just one of his last six fights?
However one looks at him, “Wonderboy” is sure to live on in fans’ memories. Here is hoping that an analyst job, whether it be in the UFC or the aptly-fashioned Karate Combat, awaits him.
2) Will Brian Ortega Succeed In His UFC Lightweight Debut?
It has been over a year since Brian Ortega fought, and it did not go very well. The former featherweight challenger struggled to shed the pounds ahead of his clash with Aljamain Sterling and looked listless come fight night, dropping a unanimous decision.
Now, amid a 1-4 stretch in his last five fights, Ortega looks to revitalize his career ten pounds north. His opponent, Dan Hooker, is himself mired in bad times, having been finished in his last three fights. In addition, “The Hangman” looked uncompetitive in each of them, offering little resistance before folding at the first sign of adversity.
That makes Hooker as clear-cut a “gimme” opponent as Ortega can get for his divisional debut. Thus, if he somehow fails to win, then it could mean the end for “T-City”.
1) When Will Tatiana Suarez Finally Regain UFC Fans’ Respect?
On papar, Tatiana Suarez’s two-win streak since failing to dethrone Weili Zhang is decent, as she beat Amanda Lemos and Loopy Godinez to reassert herself as a top strawweight contender. What stands out, however, is where they played out.
Both fights took place in the prelims – a major falloff for someone of Suarez’s ranking. For most fans, however, it was warranted given how poorly she fared against Zhang. This Saturday, however, she arguably deserved better.
After Sean Brady withdrew on Thursday because of a knee injury, logic held that Suarez and Virna Jandiroba, as the highest-ranked fighters left, would be promoted to the main event. Instead, Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Johnny Walker were booked in a makeshift main event. That speaks to how poorly perceived Suarez has become not just among fans, but within the UFC brass as well.
Thus, herein lies the problem: what if Suarez wins? That is three straight, and with Zhang still MIA, she will have the strongest case to challenge Mackenzie Dern next. The question is, will anyone actually care?
End Of My UFC Rant
There are plenty of more questions to be answered by this month’s UFC events, and those are not even the biggest ones.
Ciryl Gane is entering his first fight since being promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. His title fights since he unsuccessfully tried to unseat Francis Ngannou have been marred by controversy, but can he mount a clean defense against Josh Hokit?
Meanwhile, Hokit has been at best polarizing outside the cage, but his in-cage performances have had some hailing him as a much-needed savior figure at heavyweight. Can he fulfill his potential against his most daunting opponent yet?
Finally, there is the state of what happens to women’s bantamweight after Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes fight. The most plausible theory has been that both will retire regardless of who wins, but recent signings and impressive performances have shown that there is still hope for their division.
