Is he Demetrious Johnson, or is he Benson Henderson?
Roughly speaking, that’s the question Lyoto Machida will try to answer when he fights Gegard Mousasi this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 36, which goes down from Jaragua do Sul, Brazil.
In the case of the former, it’s the story of a man who, while successful in a heavier weight class (bantamweight), found his true niche in a lower division (flyweight, where Johnson is the reigning champ). The latter story is one populated by championship-level talent but also by conservative game plans and controversial decisions that routinely overshadow the action in the cage.
Machida, once the UFC light heavyweight titleholder, moved down to middleweight in October to dramatic effect; he scored a spectacular head-kick knockout on Mark Munoz in the first round of his debut.
If it was a sign of things to come, Machida could be a contender again in short order. If not, he could return to the promotional no-man’s land, where elite but inconsistent or unexciting fighters, fairly or not, are frequently confined.
But this is just one of several intriguing bouts and storylines across the card, from Fight Pass to finale. In fact, several fighters are facing these sorts of existential questions. Here’s a full guide to UFC Fight Night 36, including information capsules, predictions and viewing coordinates for each and every bout.