Great fights always come down to a series of questions: Are skills up to speed? Does youth/power/speed trump explosiveness/skill/experience? And can the wearing of Speedos be a commission-mandated infraction punishable by fine?

Five queries that need answers heading into this weekend’s WEC and Strikeforce events:

1. Can Andrei Arlovski’s chin hold up to Brett Rogers?

Diligence under boxing trainer Freddie Roach has created two very dangerous hands for Andrei Arlovski. Unfortunately, they sandwich one very suspect jaw.

Of Arlovski’s six losses, all but one ended with him lit up like a holiday porch. Against Fedor Emelianenko, he was knocked into something resembling clinical death. And Rogers has power in his hands.

Counterpoint? Arlovski has only two KO losses in the past seven years, and one came against Emelianenko when he was in midair — and completely unable to transfer shock to anywhere but his poor brain. His glass chin is double-paned at worst — highly exaggerated. He’ll outbox Rogers to devastating effect.

2. Is it time for Jens Pulver to hang it up?

As Rocky Balboa proved, heavyweights maintain their power indefinitely; light heavyweights enjoy the occasional genetic freak who can compete into his 40s (see: Bernard Hopkins). But lighter fighters get no breaks. Speed disappears, the muscle was never there, and there’s no forgiveness for slowed reflexes. We will never see a 44-year-old 145-pound champion.

3. Can the WEC survive the Mike Brown era?

4. Is Kevin Randleman ready for a comeback?

5. Is Nick Diaz really a middleweight?

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