It has been a wild year in mixed martial arts -- and it's almost fitting the UFC would close it out with the return of Ronda Rousey. You might say 2016 left us with more questions than answers about this sport. Heading into UFC 207 this Friday, the same can be said about Rousey: more questions than answers. How will she look after more than a year off, in her first appearance since the loss to Holly Holm? And even if she's at her peak, will it be enough to topple defending champion Amanda Nunes?
Questions surround the entire main card at UFC 207. Can Dominick Cruz put a cap on one of the greatest comeback years in the sport's history against Cody Garbrandt? And will TJ Dillashaw or John Lineker be waiting in the wings for the winner?
ESPN.com is here to tell you everything you need to know heading into the final pay-per-view event of the year, with its newest edition of UFC Cheat Sheets.
Johny Hendricks (17-5) vs. Neil Magny (18-5), Welterweight
Hendricks looking to 'be an athlete again'
With four All-American collegiate wrestling honors, an NCAA Division I national wrestling championship and a UFC title on his résumé, Hendricks is one of the most accomplished athletes on the UFC roster.
Now, how much does the 33-year-old have left?
Hendricks is 1-3 in his past four fights. He has also had trouble making weight. A failed weight cut forced him to pull out of a fight in 2015, and he missed weight again ahead of his last bout, a decision loss to Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 200 in July.
In an interview with ESPN's 5ive Rounds podcast earlier this year, Hendricks suggested that if he can't beat Magny on Dec. 30, his career might be over.
"If I go out there and let's just say -- crazier things have happened -- and I lose? Well, I guess [it's time] to say, 'I'm done,'" Hendricks said.
"I know it sounds bad, and I told my wife this ... but I need to be an athlete again. And what does being an athlete mean? It means I have to be a little selfish again. I have to put my career sort of ahead of everything else -- and I don't like doing that."
Hendricks's losses have come against top quality opposition -- Robbie Lawler, Stephen Thompson and Gastelum. But whether this proves to be his last fight or not, it's a crossroads bout for an athlete who just three years ago was considered the likely heir to former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
Magny prepping for 2013 Hendricks
Magny is well aware it has been a down year for his opponent. And the way he saw it, the more he watched tape of "2016 Hendricks," the more confident he would be going into Friday's matchup.
So, Magny made a decision not to watch those fights at all.
"To be honest with you, I haven't watched his last two fights," Magny said. "I didn't want to get into the habit of watching those fights and thinking, 'Oh, look how slow he's moving, this and that.' Then you start overlooking the guy. The image I have of Johny stuck in my head is the guy people thought beat [Georges St-Pierre in 2013]."
Magny, 29, says he was guilty of overlooking Lorenz Larkin at UFC 202 in August. That mistake contributed to arguably Magny's worst performance, a first-round TKO loss.
That's just one of two setbacks in the past three years for Magny. He's 10-2 in his past 12 and holds wins over Hector Lombard, Gastelum and Erick Silva.
"I know for a fact, if I beat Hendricks, I'll be either fighting top-five guys or knocking on the door for a title shot," Magny said. "If I have a dominant performance, people are going to say, 'I want to see Neil go against guys like Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley.' If I go out and completely destroy him, they're going to want to see that."
Breakdown
No other way to say this: The signs are troubling for Hendricks.
The failed weight cuts are concerning. As is a one-sided loss to Stephen Thompson, in which he didn't look well prepared for the (albeit, tricky) style matchup. And an uneven, sluggish performance at UFC 200. His recent comments alluding to potential retirement don't instill confidence he's about to turn it around.
But all that said, if Hendricks can return to form on Friday, we know he has a path to victory. He has more punching power than Magny, and -- assuming he's in shape -- should be able to keep this fight more or less where he wants it. Magny can be a menace on the ground, but Hendricks's takedown defense and scrambling ability is top notch when he's on his game.
Magny is a massive welterweight who will have an 11-inch reach advantage. He uses range pretty well and has a solid clinch to rely on when opponents get to the inside. He's also known for his gas tank as a gym rat who trains at altitude in Denver.
One very simple way of looking at this is that Magny is an opponent Hendricks can certainly beat, but if his head isn't right and one foot is out the door, Magny has the skill set to make him look very, very bad.
Prediction: Magny via decision.