UFC 199
JUNE 4, 2016
LIVE FROM INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA
UFC 199 brings two title fights to pay-per-view tonight, headlined by the Middleweight Championship bout between Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping. Bisping is getting his first ever shot at a UFC title, and it comes ten years into his run in the organization. The trilogy bout between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber hits the co-main event, while Max Holloway hopes to prove himself worthy of a Featherweight Title shot in his fight with Ricardo Lamas. We’ll have quick results on tonight’s prelims as they kick off on UFC Fight Pass, and we switch to round by round coverage on the Fox Sports 1 prelims and throughout the main card as well. Stick with us here all night to follow along!
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=====UFC Fight Pass Prelims Quick Results=====
-Marco Polos Reyes def. Dong Hyun Kim via KO at 1:52 of the third round
Note: That may have been the single most entertaining opening fight the UFC’s ever had. It was an unbelievably brutal war from start to finish, and though there was very little in the way of defensive techniques from either competitor that made for one hell of a spectacle. Kim hurt Reyes first early in the first round, connecting on several significant left hooks that had him wobbled, but Reyes came back with elbows and forearms in close to hurt Kim right back. From there, it was relentlessness from both, attrition, and it finally came to an end when Reyes landed two precise right hands to Kim to send him crashing down, adding a third to the jaw on the ground as the ref came in. Excellent finish to an excellent (****-) fight.
-Kevin Casey vs. Elvis Mutapcic ends in split draw (29-28, 28-29, 28-28)
Note: Bit of a grueling fight; Casey had some solid ground top control, Mutapcic did some significant damage on the feet, especially in close and in the clinch. The fight ending in a draw is fine, and the in-cage aspect of it will be mostly forgotten. Credit to Casey for getting through the bout under the circumstances after the passing of Muhammad Ali, who happened to be his father-in-law, on Friday.
-Luis Henrique da Silva def. Jonathan Wilson via TKO at 4:11 of the second round
Note: Both were exhausted as all hell after a back and forth – and extremely sloppy – first round. That continued in the second, with Wilson actually hurting da Silva early, only to do damage on the ground before getting swept and pounded out. He eventually just had nothing to offer in the way of defense and the ref finally stepped in.
-Sean Strickland def. Tom Breese via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Note: Just, not at all a good fight. Extremely dull, plodding, boring, with the exception of maybe the final 20 seconds of the third round. Unexciting kickboxing from fighters who are primarily grapplers does not a good fight make.
=====Fox Sports 1 Prelims=====
-Just prior to the FS1 prelims, Dana White narrated a video package in remembrance of Muhammad Ali, and they spent some time at the open discussing the boxing legend’s passing.
PRELIM FIGHT ONE: ALEX CACERES VS. COLE MILLER (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Caceres opened with a leg kick. He then dropped Miller almost immediately with a big strike, but Miller recovered well and popped to his feet, grabbing a clinch and eventually taking Caceres down. Caceres got back up fairly quickly, but Miller stayed on him and tried to drag him down again. Caceres then turned into him and got into top position in half guard. He threw down some punches and elbows, then backed out and made Miller stand. Caceres came right back in with a nice kick to the body. He walked Miller down and landed a high kick that was partially blocked. He connected on a straight left that rocked Miller, but Miller came back ahead with a strike. Caceres connected on a nice kick to the body. Caceres went for a spinning back first that was blocked. He hurt Miller with an excellent combination at the cage. Caceres then scored a takedown with just over a minute left on the cage, but let Miller up. Miller scored a few strikes and drove to a clinch, but Caceres scored a trip out of the clinch, then stood up and got to his feet before the bell.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Caceres. Very good start for the late notice replacement.
ROUND TWO: Caceres connected on a nice jump kick to the body early. He put together several strikes in combination. He again got in several strikes and exited before Miller could respond. Big speed advantage for Caceres, who again landed another combination ending in a leg kick. He rocked Miller with several strikes but backed out as Miller got free. Caceres ducked a strike and threw Miller down, then made him stand. Caceres turned into him and clinched as Miller got in close. Miller tried to pull guard, but Caceres shrugged him off and made him stand. Caceres connected with another nice combination. Miller got in a jab, but Caceres circled out, reset, and landed a kick to the body. He landed with a few more strikes. Caceres continued to move well to avoid much from Miller. He landed another combination in the center. Miller got in close, Caceres just threw him down, then landed a couple strikes before making him stand again. Caceres landed another combination. He rocked him with an elbow. Caceres landed a really nice superman punch, then got in a high kick. He landed another combination. Another big series of strikes got through and Miller covered up. Miller landed one of his best punches in the fight. Caceres cracked him again. Caceres landed a hard inside leg kick. Caceres chased Miller down late to connect on some more strikes before the round ended.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-8 Caceres. Such a disparity between the output there, huge round for Caceres.
ROUND THREE: Caceres closed distance early, scored a big takedown, and landed a few strikes before standing to get him back up. Miller wound up finally getting a positional advantage in a scramble, and eventually worked to an armbar. Caceres desperately scrambled out and got to top position to the delight of the crowd. Excellent escape. He then stepped out and made Miller stand. They traded strikes. Miller connected on a few to the body up against the cage. Caceres clinched up to slow things down. Caceres got in some more offense and scored a takedown, but Miller swept and got himself into top position late. He tried to pass to mount, then attacked for a choke as Caceres tried to escape. Caceres again smartly adjusted position to get out of the choke, and Miller had to just end the round on top. Hell of a final round to that one. Good fight.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Miller. Caceres was strong enough, but that one’s Miller’s. Too little, too late, but very fun.
WINNER: Caceres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (***) Very fun fight, and a great performance from Caceres under any circumstances, let alone ten days notice. Well done.
PRELIM FIGHT TWO: JESSICA PENNE VS. JESSICA ANDRADE (WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Penne tried to paw out a jab early to feel out the distance. Andrade then closed the distance and unleashed a torrent of strikes at the cage. Penne absorbed a lot of damage there before Andrade backed off to reset. Penne tried to get in some more strikes at length, but not much was getting through. Andrade then rushed in with another big flurry, and did some more damage. Penned tried to grab a Thai clinch to land a knee, but she ate a few more strikes before Andrade backed out again. Andrade with another big rush as Penne covered up at the cage. Huge flurries from Andrade. Penne got in a couple knees to separate. Andrade got in another significant series of strikes at the cage. Penne fired back, but Andrade again landed another combination. Penne grabbed a clinch but ate a few strikes. Andrade again unloaded as Penne tried to cover up. Andrade was picking her spots, stepping in for a few strikes before backing out, and Penne continued to take the strikes well enough. Penne finally landed a hard right hand. Andrade hurt her again with a wild exchange. Penne covered up as the body strikes sent her to the ground at the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-8 Andrade. There would be no shame in Penne not coming out for the second round here.
ROUND TWO: Penne tried to again land some strikes from range. She landed a good right hand and circled out to counter a couple strikes. Andrade then closed distance and got Penne backed up to the cage. Penne got in a Thai clinch, landed a couple knees, and backed out. Andrade then landed an extended flurry up against the cage, eventually throwing Penne to the ground and making her stand back up. Andrade again landed a huge flurry, swarming Penne up against the cage. Penne can absorb some damage, there’s no question, but she’s getting beat up in this fight. Penne landed a right hand, but she got hurt by another torrent up against the cage. She covered up, but Andrade continued throwing punch after punch after punch after punch, refusing to relent until the referee finally stepped in. Significant strawweight debut for Andrade.
WINNER: Andrade via TKO at 2:56 of the second round
STAR RATING: (**+) Stellar performance from Andrade, who showed no negative signs from the cut in her first drop down from bantamweight. This was a big time performance against a former title challenger, and immediately establishes her as a contender at 115 lbs.
PRELIM FIGHT THREE: BENEIL DARIUSH VS. JAMES VICK (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Dariush missed a body kick off the bat, then blocked one from Vick in return. Dariush then came back with another one that landed. Vick then connected on a hard body kick with a right hand behind it. Dariush rushed in and got poked in the eye, which Rogan on replay called an “absolutely classic accidental eye poke.” Very much sick of the eye pokes getting no consequences whatsoever. Dariush rushed in with several strikes in combination, then got poked again. TAKE POINTS AWAY! Instead both get warnings to watch their fingers and things continue with Goldberg continuing to sell the “unintentional” nature of pokes. Ok. They started exchanging heavy strikes after the reset and Dariush knocked Vick down. He landed a ton of brutal strikes on the ground, but Vick managed to recover enough to get himself back up on the cage. Dariush went for a takedown, but Vick defended pretty well, then turned him around and got in a knee to the body. Vick finally got separation and landed a body kick, then got staggered with a huge left hand. Vick was trying his best to stay in the fight, but Dariush finally floored him with another huge left hand to the jaw in the clinch. Great performance from Dariush to bounce back from the submission loss to Michael Chiesa. That’s first career professional loss.
WINNER: Dariush via KO at 4:16 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**+) Awesome work from Dariush once he battled past the eye pokes and actually hurt Vick. That was an extended beating, capped off by a hell of a highlight-reel KO finish.
PRELIM FIGHT FOUR: BRIAN ORTEGA VS. CLAY GUIDA (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Ortega stayed come in the center as Guida tried to dance around the cage. He landed a decent right hand. Guida then popped in with a quick left hand and Ortega went down, but he popped right back to his feet. He got caught on that one. Ortega went high with a kick that was blocked. Guida caught a kick but Ortega rolled out to stay on his feet. Guida connected on an overhand right again. Very slow start from Ortega. Guida shot in for a single leg, but Ortega stuffed the attempt. Guida landed a series of short strikes before finally being forced to back off. Ortega avoided a few strikes, then landed a couple of his own. He ate a right hand again from Guida. Ortega popped off a couple strikes, but they weren’t all that effective. Guida poked Ortega in the eye and then landed several strikes after that with the ref not seeing it. Ortega recovered and circled out. They traded strikes late.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Guida. Of course another blatant eye poke goes missed and unpunished. Ortega started slow, and Guida beat him to the punch in many ways thanks to that.
ROUND TWO: Guida ducked under an early strike and tried to take Ortega down, but got stuffed. Guida got in a few strikes in the center. Ortega landed a hard body kick. He landed a nice uppercut shortly thereafter. Things slowed down again. Guida connected on a gazing overhand left. Things got very ineffectual for both fighters for the middle stretch of the round, with neither doing much. Ortega landed a hard body kick. He got in a few strikes and avoided a rush. Ortega landed another big right hand. Guida landed a left that popped Ortega’s head back. They traded strikes with Ortega cracking Guida with a left. Guida shot in again only to get stuffed. Guida connected on a couple strikes. They traded in the center. Ortega started getting through with the jab. Guida countered with a left on another exchange. Ortega landed a nice elbow at the cage. He landed a nice body kick. Nice uppercut from Ortega. He got in a few more strikes late.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Ortega? His offense was more effective than Guida’s, even if he didn’t start picking up his attack until late.
ROUND THREE: Ortega landed a couple of quick fights. Guida danced around. Ortega joined him. They both threw out short strikes here and there, but mostly just hopped around one another for a while. Ortega was connecting on better strikes when he decided to throw. This fight is awful. Ortega got in a couple strikes. Guida rushed in with a couple strikes. Ortega popped his head back. The crowd booed. That’s the right response here. Ortega walked Guida down and landed some strikes. He got in the uppercut and finally started getting a bit more aggressive. He landed a nice spinning back kick to the body. They traded in the center again. Ortega continued getting the best of exchanges late. He hurt Guida with a knee. He threw a flying knee. He backed Guida up. Guida landed a right hand. Ortega then dropped Guida with a knee! Guida went down in a heap and only woke up with a couple more strikes thrown by Ortega on the ground. Guida was so out of it that he almost attacked Herb Dean after the stoppage.
WINNER: Ortega via TKO at 4:40 of the third round
STAR RATING: (**+) All for the finish, because the first 14 minutes of that fight were just not very good. Huge knee from Ortega to find that last minute finish, and that’s a great highlight to erase the fight that had happened to that point.
=====Pay-Per-View Main Card=====
MAIN CARD FIGHT ONE: DUSTIN POIRIER VS. BOBBY GREEN (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Poirier landed a big counter-right early. He caught a kick and tried to back Green up to the cage, but Green circled out. Poirier got in a body kick. He landed a right hand and got grazed by a counter-left. Green landed an inside leg kick. Poirier landed a hard kick to the lead leg. He caught Green with a nice left hand. Green tried to goad him into a firefight. Poirier obliged and knocked him down with a huge strike. He landed several on the ground but Green worked his way back up. Poirier landed on several more, but they reset a bit after some more Green talk. Poirier landed another big left hand at the end of a combination. He backed Green up to the cage and teed off with a big combination. He covered up well as Green fired back and did more damage. Green landed a left. Poirier dropped him again! He landed a few more strikes on the ground and it was all over. Man. What a damned performance from Dustin Poirier. That was beautiful work.
WINNER: Poirier via KO at 2:53 of the first round
-Poirier yelled out before the result was read that he has mouths to feed.
STAR RATING: (***+) I loved everything about that performance from Dustin Poirier. Extremely poised, patient, technical, and powerful, and he fought through the trash talk to send Green out of there. Fantastic and highly impressive work from Poirier, and he should get the top ten fight he’s hoping for his next time out.
-They re-aired the Dana White narrated Ali tribute, and then Joe Rogan brought in UFC exec Marc Ratner – a former longtime member of the Nevada Athletic Commission with a long boxing history who certainly has a knowledgeable perspective on Ali’s legacy.
MAIN CARD FIGHT TWO: DAN HENDERSON VS. HECTOR LOMBARD (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Henderson ducked on the first exchange (30 seconds in) and landed a short strike. Henderson threw an inside leg kick as the crowd loudly chanted for him. He landed another inside kick that was caught, but he got his foot free. Lombard tried to walk him down. Slowly. Henderson got in a right hand as Lombard stepped in, backing him off. Almost two minutes in and maybe ten total strikes had been thrown. Lombard threw a body kick that grazed Henderson. Both were extremely hesitant to over-engage. Henderson then rocked Lombard with a right hand, but as he moved in to attack he got rocked himself and then Lombard pulled off an excellent instinctual throw, getting right into a crucifix set up. He tried to lock on an Americana, then a straight armbar, but he lost it. Henderson worked up to his feet but Lombard started unleashing hell. Henderson got dropped, and Lombard continued throwing, but Herb Dean let it continue. Henderson staggered to his feet and around the cage but got dropped yet again only to pop up. Lombard then put Henderson on the ground and things slowed down in Henderson’s guard. Lombard mostly just conserved energy on top, eating a few heel strikes before the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-8 Lombard. Not often you can have a score like that when a fighter gets dropped himself, but that fight should have arguably been stopped there. Lombard did tons of damage and nearly had it finished.
ROUND TWO: Henderson threw the worst looking kick this side of Brock Lesnar. Lombard landed a body kick. Both swung and missed in the center. Henderson landed a grazing right hand, just not quite flush enough to hurt Lombard. They just stood in front of each other looking to throw the finishing blow. The crowd tried to cheer Henderson on. Henderson landed a high kick, then dropped Lombard and put him out cold with a back elbow to the temple. He landed two more completely unnecessary elbows as Lombard was out cold before Dean could get in there. That’s… not good, especially when Lombard then stayed down and out for several scary moments.
WINNER: Henderson via KO at 1:27 of the second round
STAR RATING: (***+) That was always a possibility either way, but it also as expected had a ton of tentative moments from both before they finally got going. That second elbow on the ground especially was just completely unnecessary as well. Still, there was crazy action, one hell of a KO, and, as Rich Hansen noted afterward, Dan Henderson didn’t die.
-Henderson said he’s not sure what’s going to happen next, and he’ll see, but that could have been the last fight of his career.
-Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz II is officially announced for UFC 202.
MAIN CARD FIGHT THREE: MAX HOLLOWAY VS. RICARDO LAMAS (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Lamas opened up with kicks from the outside, landing to the lead leg and body. Holloway got in a nice short combination as they closed in on one another. Lamas threw a spinning back kick to the body. He landed a grazing left. Holloway landed a few nice strikes after closing distance again. Holloway landed a nice left hand, then got in a knee and avoided Lamas’ return shots. He landed a hard counter-right as Lamas pressed in. Holloway landed a huge combination, and unloaded on Lamas to the body and head with punches and knees on the cage as Lamas covered up. He continued to pin him on the cage, landing several more strikes. Lamas shot in, but Holloway stuffed it and nearly reversed into top position himself. Lamas worked out of it and Holloway backed up to his feet. Lamas got in a couple of grazing strikes but didn’t entirely close the distance. Lamas shot in again, but Holloway stuffed it and kept himself upright at the cage. Lamas stayed on the single-leg attempt, but Holloway easily escaped. Lamas landed a leg kick as they reset. Holloway connected on a wheel kick after missing a couple strikes. He landed a nice short combo, but ate a knee to the body in the exchange. They separated before the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Holloway. Good start for the Hawaiian. Looks much more comfortable than Lamas everywhere, and he’s having success in what he’s trying to do while stifling the same for Lamas.
ROUND TWO: Lamas got in an opening kick. Holloway tried to walk him down and landed a side kick to the leg. Lamas rushed him back and got in a leg kick. Neither was getting in much effective offense in the opening minute and a half. Holloway landed some solid kicks, then got in a nice left hand. He connected on a short combination. Lamas landed a hard leg kick to the lead leg. Holloway feinted with a kick and landed a left hand. Holloway landed a nice right hand and tried to back Lamas up. He rockhed him with a huge flurry, backing away from Lamas’ return fire. They traded and Lamas connected. Holloway reset and blocked a strike. Lamas shot in and Holloway caught his head. He let go of a north-south choke, then landed a knee to the body as Lamas tried to reverse. He let him up and landed a kick to the body. Lamas came up bleeding. Holloway landed a nice uppercut followed by a right hook. Holloway landed another nice combination in the center of the cage. Lamas shot in again, but Holloway caught his head. He had an inverted choke but lost it, but that opened Lamas up for Holloway to take his back. Lamas landed an elbow behind him. Holloway got in a huge elbow late before the horn. This is great stuff.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Holloway. Lamas is surviving, but showing he’s still dangerous. Still, great adjustments from Holloway on the fly after he himself got cracked. This is a good fight.
ROUND THREE: Holloway backed away from an early rush. Lamas went for a bit of a capoeira kick that grazed Holloway. He landed a couple strikes as Holloway landed back. Holloway popped his head back with a left. Holloway blocked a head kick and tried to engage. They traded in the center. Lamas missed a spinning kick. Holloway landed a short combo as he ate a leg kick. He backed Lamas up. Holloway landed some nice counter strikes as Lamas got close. He landed a big right hand, then a step-in elbow. Lamas grazed him with a left hand, then got in a hard leg kick. Lamas tried to rush in, but Holloway clinched after a leg kick and slowed things down. He separated and reset. Lamas faked a takedown and landed a kick, but Holloway fired back a combination. Holloway backed him up and threw his own high kick. They clinched up again and Holloway landed a good elbow. Holloway turned him around and separated again. He landed a short combination. They traded strikes in the center. Lamas landed a hard left hand. Holloway cracked him with a big combo and backed him to the cage. He landed a huge flurry of strikes and avoided the counters from Lamas. Lamas broke the ensuing clinch with a spinning back elbow. Holloway came back in with a couple strikes. They traded again late. They looked each other in the eyes, Holloway pointed to the ground, they nodded their heads in agreement, and then just started throwing bombs for the final ten seconds. That was fantastic.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Holloway. He just did a lot more, and was a lot more effective in his combinations while Lamas was mostly scoring on one-off strikes.
WINNER: Holloway via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (***) The first two rounds and the final ten seconds were fantastic, and though the third round dragged a little bit in spots it was a good round in its own right. Just another really damn fine performance from the 24-year-old Hawaiian, who has now won nine fights in a row. Holloway called for a title shot, and the long-awaited UFC visit to Hawaii.
-They air a new promo for UFC 200 and at the tail end is “Can you see me now?!” and a smiling Brock Lesnar. Yep. He’s back. No opponent yet set.
MAIN CARD FIGHT FOUR: DOMINICK CRUZ VS. URIJAH FABER (UFC BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
ROUND ONE: Lots of footwork and movement early as the crowd loudly chanted for Faber. Faber tried to rush a knee and Cruz scored a quick takedown. Faber used a butterfly guard as Cruz tried to keep him pinned down. Faber nicely countered a pass attempt to sweep to his feet, but Cruz held onto him in the clinch. Faber landed a knee up against the cage. Faber nicely countered another move to nearly score his own takedown, then was granted a moment to pull his shorts up as they’d fallen a bit. Faber moved in, landed a right hand, then shot in. He picked Cruz up and went for a slam. Cruz adjusted in mid-air and reversed to get on top in a scramble. Faber escaped and got in a few hard strikes. He went for a choke in a clinch but didn’t have it. They reset and Cruz had a mouse under his left eye. Faber landed a nice right hand as he charged in. That opened up the mouse a bit. The crowd again chanted for Faber. Both swung and missed as Faber got Cruz to the cage. Cruz grabbed for a leg, but ate a strike and lost the hold. Cruz landed a nice jab. He got in a couple of strikes as Faber tried to dodge with head movement. Cruz got in a couple more as he stepped in. Faber missed a few strikes as Cruz backed out.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. Hell of an entertaining round with those scrambles. Fairly even overall, Cruz seemed to have a bit more offense and positional control. Can see an argument for Faber though.
ROUND TWO: Cruz seemed to be breathing a bit heavy after one round. That’s not like him. Cruz tossed out a few jabs early as he bounced around. Cruz dropped Faber with a left hand! Faber quickly recovered and grappled back to his feet, then retreated as Cruz tried to chase him down. Faber shot in after Cruz missed a head kick, but ate a few strikes. Cruz landed another hard right hand. He got in a hard leg kick and Faber was still trying to get his wits about him. The crowd turned and started chanting “Let’s go Cruz.” He landed a hard left, and followed with a leg kick. Faber ate another bad leg kick to the front leg. The Faber faithful got back into the mix to cheer him on, and he blocked several attacks. Both fighters swung and missed again in the center. Faber couldn’t find a target, but he continued to avoid counters as well. Cruz got in to the leg. Faber missed a big right hand after a brief clinch. He connected on a counter as he ate a leg kick. Cruz landed a right hand. Faber blocked some more strikes. THey traded solid shots late in the round. Faber seems to be fully recovered from the earlier flash knock down.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. That’s the biggest strike Cruz has ever landed on Faber. Good recovery from Faber immediately, though, and he’s not out of this as the first round could have gone either way.
ROUND THREE: Faber threw out a body kick but got tripped up as he shot in for a takedown. Cruz danced around him a bit and landed some strikes throughout the opening minute. Cruz missed a jumping knee. He kept pressuring, and landed another big combination. Faber’s not having much success at all anymore in this one. The action stalled out a bit as Cruz was looking for his angles and Faber stayed on the outside. Cruz landed another big left. Faber throwing very little, connecting on even less. Cruz backed him up and landed another strike. Cruz landed another left. Lots of intermittently slow and tentative spurts. Cruz caught a kick late, but Faber grabbed for a headlock and got separation. Cruz snuck behind him and nearly tripped him as he just ducked away from a strike. Cruz landed a couple punches late.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. Much of the same from round two.
ROUND FOUR: We get a lot more of the same in the opening minute, as Faber’s failing to find much success while Cruz connects every so often. Faber needs to find some desperation or he’s just going to get picked apart. Cruz was more than happy to do that. Neither was actually landing much of anything threw much of the round, with Cruz only occasionally attacking. Just as I type that Cruz rocked Faber again. Faber went down at the cage, took a few strikes, then worked back to his feet. Cruz missed a jumping knee. He landed a jab. Faber recovered, but he again just wasn’t doing much of anything. Cruz connected on a few more strikes. Faber finally connected with a strike late before the horn.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. And so it continues. Faber has to get desperate to finish this because he will not win a decision.
ROUND FIVE: Cruz circled around and landed a couple jabs. He landed a nice combination. He rushed Faber to the cage with a heavy kick, then landed a second as Faber turned back into him. Faber landed a big right hand, his best strike of the fight. Faber again landed, but Cruz came back in with a couple jabs. They traded strikes. Cruz landed another jab. Cruz landed a nice combination right in the center. Faber landed a right hand, but in the clinch scramble Cruz took him down and took his back. Faber blocked him from getting hooks in and tried to work to his feet. Faber tried to spin into him and finally got separation with Cruz landing a body kick. Faber landed a right hand. Cruz shot in, lost it, and landed a strike. Faber went for a choke but got taken down. Cruz passed to side control. Faber tried to scramble out. He got to his feet. Faber went for a front choke but Cruz got out easily. Time just ran out on Faber and he got cracked himself as he tried to engage late.
Penick’s Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. Just not nearly enough offense for Faber, while Cruz hurt him more in this fight than in their last. Good, not great performance from the champ.
WINNER: Cruz via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
STAR RATING: (**) The first seven minutes had a lot of good action and drama, but after Faber recovered from the knock down there wasn’t a ton of offense to be found. Cruz had moments, spurts throughout the fight where he cracked Faber but just didn’t do a ton to follow up from there. This was a more complete performance from Cruz than in the Dillashaw fight, and he shook off a rougher yet still competitive first round to retain the title in clearer fashion than the last time they fought five years ago.
-Faber was very complimentary towards Cruz and accepting of the loss. Of course, he couldn’t help himself but say that, while Cruz hits hard, it’s not as hard as his teammate Cody Garbrandt.
-UFC 200 promo time focusing on Jones-Cormier.
-Aside on Lesnar: The WWE has confirmed Lesnar’s participation themselves, saying they’ve granted him the one-off for this event. He’ll return to the WWE for Summerslam in August, so there will be some co-promotion here in some respects with Lesnar’s UFC return getting attention on WWE television as well.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT FIVE: LUKE ROCKHOLD VS. MICHAEL BISPING (UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
ROUND ONE: Bisping threw a side kick to Rockhold’s lead leg. Rockhold calmly took the center. He landed a push kick, then a leg kick. Bisping missed on a right hand. He landed a jab. Rockhold’s facial expressions were of, being generous here, annoyance more than anything. He threw out some hard kicks. He went high with one that was blocked. Bisping landed a couple strikes that only partially got through. Bisping missed, then got rocked by a left. Rockhold avoided a counter and landed. He tried to back Bisping up and landed a hard body kick. Bisping got in a body kick. Rockhold landed a front kick to the body. Bisping got in a right hand to the body. Bisping grazed a left and Rockhold missed a counter strike. Rockhold landed inside, then high with kicks. He landed a hard kick to the body that seemed to hurt Bisping. Rockhold landed a nice right hand as Bisping stepped in. He landed another. Bisping then rocked Rockhold! Are you kidding me? He landed again and Rockhold staggered to the cage. Bisping didn’t let up and Rockhold went down. John McCarthy gave him every opportunity to recover, but Bisping put him out cold! Did that just happen? What is this night? Rockhold had zero respect for Bisping’s power, kept his hands down and his chin up, and Bisping capitalized with two insane left hands in that exchange. Unbelievable.
WINNER: Bisping via KO at 3:36 of the first round
STAR RATING: (****) This is absolute insanity. I just don’t even know what to say. Michael Bisping is the UFC Middleweight Champion.
“I’ve got to be humble, even though I want to be an asshole.”
He thanked his wife and all the support from friends, family, fans, more.
“I’m an average guy. This was my dream, nobody’s taking this away from me. Two weeks notice? Two days, two hours, two minutes, I’ll fight anyone, anywhere.”
Yeah. That just happened. This is one of the most newsworthy nights we’ve had in ages, so we’ll have follow up throughout the week, month, year on this one, and it’s only getting crazier as the summer rolls on. Well, thanks for sticking with us here, keep checking the site for more reaction, news, and more!
Note for App Users: For fastest refresh rate on our fight result updates throughout the event, we recommend you visit our mobile-friendly browser-based website at http://www.mmatorch.com. Our App unfortunately doesn’t update article changes in real time, but our mobile site does, so there will be delays in live results on our app but not on our mobile site during the event.
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