Hype Train: Five Major Question Marks At UFC 196

Tomorrow night (March 5, 2016), a blockbuster UFC pay-per-view (PPV) event will come to our screens live from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Boldly promising to be the biggest UFC event of 2016 thus far, UFC 196 is slated for this Saturday  from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Although the card won’t feature the two title fights it had originally promised, fans will still be treated to a fantastic lineup of action displaying some of the sport’s biggest stars.

The main event sees reigning featherweight champion, the “Notorious” Conor McGregor, moving up two weight classes to take on late replacement Nate Diaz in a highly anticipated welterweight showdown. Newly crowned bantamweight queen Holly Holm will also put her title on the line for the very first time in the co-main event of the evening, taking on former Strikeforce titleholder Miesha Tate.

With a card of such magnitude comes a multitude of question marks, so let’s take a deeper look into the event with the five biggest questions.

5. Will the Next Women’s Bantamweight Contender Emerge?

At this point, it’s widely thought that former divisional ruler “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey will be next in line for a shot at gold after Holm vs. Tate takes place.

At the same time, however, Rousey’s future remains a constant question mark, as it’s unclear when she will return to action.

That being said, a pivotal 135-pound matchup between No. 4-ranked Amanda Nunes and No. 10-ranked Valentina Shevchenko, which takes place on the main card, could quite possibly produce the next challenger to the bantamweight throne.

Nunes specifically could be dangerously close to a title shot, as she’s won four out of her five UFC bouts all by way of finish.

Schevchenko has only had one UFC fight to date, a split-decision victory over Sarah Kaufman, but she does hold a professional record of 12-1, and could begin to make some noise in the division starting this weekend.

Do you foresee a possible bantamweight title challenger emerging?

4. Will Miesha Tate Finally Realize Her Dream?

Having lost to previously dominant champion Ronda Rousey twice throughout her career, divisional mainstay Miesha Tate recently found herself in a tough spot.

Despite winning four bouts in a row, “Cupcake” was leapfrogged by Holly Holm last November for a shot at Rousey, something that even had Tate considering retirement.

Fortunately for the former Strikeforce champion, Holm was able to upset Rousey, and Tate now finds herself meeting “The Preacher’s Daughter” for the title.

In recent years, many have considered Tate the best in the world aside from Rousey, as she had always come up short against the “Rowdy” one.

Now, however, “Cupcake” will get another opportunity to prove that she can hang with the division’s elite, and take her place atop the 135-pound throne.

Will Miesha Tate finally make her dream a reality?

3. Is Holly Holm More Than A One-Hit Wonder?

No one saw it coming when Holly Holm picked apart Ronda Rousey before scoring a brutal second round head kick knockout last November.

Since that moment, “The Preacher’s Daughter” has constantly said that she doesn’t want to be a one hit wonder, or in other words, she doesn’t want to be remembered for scoring one upset win.

Instead, Holm would like to stay on top for a long time, and prove that she’s the best female at 135-pounds.

She will attempt to take the first step in doing just that when she meets Miesha Tate in the co-main event at UFC 196.

Tate is quite a different fighter from Rousey in the way that she possesses a tough and gritty style backed by a strong wrestling game. She’s also won four straight, and should be hungrier than ever to claim what she feels is rightfully hers.

So what do you think? Is Holm more than a one-hit wonder?

2. Does Nate Diaz Truly Stand A Chance Against Conor McGregor?

After accepting the bout with Conor McGregor on just over a week’s notice, Nate Diaz was quickly deemed the underdog.

Questions soon began to rise regarding what kind of shape the Stockton native may be in, and it appeared as if many had simply wondered whether or not he has what it takes to dethrone the seemingly invincible Irish knockout artist.

While McGregor has indeed won all seven of his UFC appearances including six by way of finish, Diaz is a veteran of the fight game. Having competed in the UFC since 2007, Diaz has performed 21 times for the promotion, making him no stranger to the bright lights.

With the fight taking place at welterweight, “The Stockton Bad Boy” will also possess a size advantage over the “Notorious” one which could help him implement his long, crisp boxing game, and lethal submissions.

If Diaz shows up like he did last December when he scored an impressive decision victory over Michael Johnson, he may just stand a chance, or will he?

Do you think the younger Diaz brother has any shot at taking out McGregor this weekend?

1. How Will Conor McGregor Fair At Welterweight?

Moving up two weight classes from his usual home at 145-pounds, Conor McGregor will undoubtedly be at a size disadvantage against Nate Diaz this weekend.

While he looks massive nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how the “Notorious” one adjusts to being the shorter, smaller fighter for once.

It should also be intriguing to see how the Irishman’s tools transfer over to welterweight.

His skill should always remain, and I’d have to assume his devastating power will be heightened, but will McGregor be slower with the added weight? Will his movement and reactions differ?

How do you see the Irishman fairing at 170 pounds?