On an evening when the UFC announced Brock Lesnar's return and the rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, Michael Bisping made the final statement.
To pay homage to the late Muhammad Ali, Bisping shook up the world.
The 37-year-old Brit scored a shocking first-round TKO victory over Luke Rockhold to become the new UFC middleweight champion. The UFC tweeted congratulations to the new champion:
WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION!!!!! #AndNew @Bisping #UFC199 pic.twitter.com/aAGv7GsZeY
— #UFC199 (@ufc) June 5, 2016
Bisping landed a hard left hand that dropped Rockhold. The latter would get to his feet quickly, but a hard right hand put him down again. A few more shots caused referee John McCarthy to step in to call a halt to the bout.
Per ESPN MMA, here's how Bisping described his victory:
"That was easy!" - @bisping #UFC199
— ESPN MMA (@ESPNMMA) June 5, 2016
Almost no one saw this coming. In his post-fight interview, Rockhold admitted he took Bisping lightly. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden provided his take on that theory:
Cocky fighters who overlook their opponents get what they have coming. #UFC199
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) June 5, 2016
Bisping stepped in on just 17 days notice to accept the fight after Chris Weidman had to back out because of injury. Rockhold had beaten Bisping easily in their first meeting and judging by his demeanor leading up to the fight, he seemed confident he would win again.
Clearly that didn't happen.
Bisping's UFC career began in 2006. This was his first shot at a title and he made the most of it.
Cruz Dominates Faber
The rubber match between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber went the way of the Dominator. Cruz retained his UFC bantamweight title with a lopsided unanimous-decision victory.
The UFC tweeted congratulation for the champion:
Celebrate @DominickCruz's victory with the UFC Emoji app! #UFC199 #AndStill Download here???? https://t.co/PyTYCcURtq pic.twitter.com/Hbpu8YclOk
— #UFC199 (@ufc) June 5, 2016
The judges scored it 50-45 twice and 49-46.
After a competitive first round that saw Faber secure a powerful slam, Cruz dropped Faber with a big left hand in the second frame. That moment changed the scope of the fight.
Cruz's power forced Faber to fight more cautious and that's a no-no against the champion. Cruz's movement and unorthodox approach froze Faber and made him target practice the rest of the fight.
The xhampion dropped Faber again in the fourth round and coasted to the victory in the fifth round.
When it was over, Faber hinted at retiring. He's 37 years old and 0-4 in UFC championship fights. It would appear the arrow is pointing down for him.
Cruz should be ready to look ahead to the next challenge in his career. The next fight for Cruz could come against the winner of the TJ Dillashaw vs. Raphael Assuncao bout at UFC 200.
Ali's Imprint Alive at UFC 199
Ali's son-in-law Kevin Casey was in action on Saturday against Elvis Mutapcic.
Casey had to settle for a draw, but the fact that a member of Ali's family was in action a day after his death was a testament to the impact of the legend in the world of combat sports.
After the bout, Casey talked about his family's loss, per Fox Sports: UFC:
"It's a lot to go through before a fight but thank you guys for the support. God bless my family"
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 4, 2016
~ Kevin Casey#UFC199
The UFC did an excellent job paying respects to the man known as The Greatest of All Time.
Results
UFC Fight Pass Prelims
- Polo Reyes def. Dong Hyun Kim via KO (third round)
- Kevin Casey draws with Elvis Mutapcic (29-28, 28-29, 28-28)
- Henrique Da Silva def. Jonathan Wilson via TKO (second round)
- Sean Strickland def. Tom Breese via split decision (29-28x2, 28-29)
UFC Fox Sports 1 Prelims
- Alex Caceres def. Cole Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28x2)
- Jessica Andrade def. Jessica Penne via TKO (second round)
- Beneil Dariush def. James Vick via KO (first round)
- Brian Ortega def. Clay Guida via KO (third round)
Main Card
- Dustin Poirier def. Bobby Green via TKO (first round)
- Dan Henderson def. Hector Lombard via KO (second round)
- Max Holloway def. Ricardo Lamas via unanimous decision (30-27x3)
- Dominick Cruz def. Urijah Faber via unanimous decision (50-45x2, 49-46)
- Michael Bisping def. Luke Rockhold via TKO (first round)
The Finishes
Polo Reyes Batters Kim
Marco Polo Reyes and Dong Hyun Kim came out throwing bombs from the beginning of their bout. Reyes got the better of almost every exchange, despite Kim landing two takedowns.
In the third and final round, Reyes dropped Kim with a massive right hand. He'd pounce on Kim and pound him out to earn the stoppage victory.
Da Silva Outlasts Wilson in a Brawl
Both Henrique Da Silva and Jonathan Wilson came in undefeated, but after a little over a round of fast-paced action, the Brazilian emerged victorious.
Wilson did some great work with body-head combinations, but Da Silva seemed to wear him down with a consistent Thai-clinch attack.
In the second round, Wilson appeared to be exhausted. However, just as Da Silva began to take control, he was cracked and dropped by a combination. He looked to be in trouble, but Wilson's gas tank betrayed him.
Da Silva recovered and took top position. He rested and then pounded Wilson out until the referee stopped the bout.
Even after all the smoke cleared on the evening, it stood up as one of the best fights of the night.
Andrade Dominates Battle of the Jessicas
Rarely will you see one fighter dominate an opponent as soundly as Jessica Andrade handled Jessica Penne. In her strawweight debut, Andrade smoked Penne with a relentless striking approach.
She pounded her across all eight sides of the Octagon. It was a surprise the bout made it out of the first round.
In the second frame, Penne was being pelted by the Brazilian's punches. She looked as if she wanted the fight to be stopped even before referee Kevin Herzog pulled the plug.
This was a statement-making performance by Andrade. With a few more wins at 115 pounds, she'll be one of the prime contenders for the title.
Dariush, Seek and Destroy
Beneil Dariush was coming off a loss to Michael Chiesa in his last outing and he was eager to get back on the winning track.
Mission accomplished.
Dariush came after James Vick from the beginning of the bout. He landed heavy left hands and body kicks in the early moments. Two eye pokes slowed Dariush a bit, but ultimately he'd badly wobble Vick with punches.
With a little over a minute remaining in the round, Dariush landed a left hand that put Vick's lights out. It was an epic rebound performance for Dariush and a humbling defeat for the previously undefeated Vick.
Ortega Stops Guida in the Final Moments of Fight
After two-plus rounds, Brian Ortega might have been losing his fight against Clay Guida. However, with just 20 seconds remaining in the fight, Ortega landed a knee to the UFC veteran's face and put him out.
How out?
Guida thought the fight was still going on for 10-15 seconds after he was stopped. Ortega's win kept his perfect 9-0 record intact and will keep him climbing the 155-pound ladder.
Poirier Disposes of Green
Could Bobby Green be any more overrated?
Dustin Poirier made him look like a clown in the Octagon and finished him with a TKO in the first round. Green motioned and taunted Poirier early in the fight, and was made to eat leather seconds later.
Green was dropped on twice and Poirier finished the deal with two punches on the canvas. Poirier is a stud, but it's time the UFC stop parading Green in front of fans as if he's a top 155-pounder.
Henderson Bombs Lombard
At 45 years old, Dan Henderson still has some power—just ask Hector Lombard.
After stunning the powerful Cuban-Australian in the first round, and surviving his own state of wobbliness, Henderson fed off the energy from the California crowd in the second.
He caught Lombard with a head kick (yes, you read that correctly) and followed it up with a back elbow that knocked his opponent cold.
Henderson followed with downward elbows, but Lombard was already out.
After the fight, Henderson told the crowd he appreciated their support, but that this might be his last fight. If it is indeed his last bout, there isn't a more appropriate way for Hendo to go out.
He beat a tough opponent and he did it with a finish. He couldn't script it any better.
