If UFC 200 has been touted as a historic landmark occasion for the company, the preceding card that is all set to roll out this weekend at the Fabulous Forum in California doesn’t fall far from the mark based on the richness of talent on display either.
Featuring a bevy of entertaining stylistic match-ups, the culmination of a couple of bitter rivalries and a potential ‘ride-off-into-the-sunset’ retirement of a legend, UFC 199 card promises much in terms of action inside the Octagon and emotional implications outside it.
Newly crowned Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold defends his title against a game Michael Bisping in the main event, while eternal rivals Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber do battle the third and likely final time for the Bantamweight crown in the co-headliner.
The rest of the main card is rounded up by a showdown between top contenders Max Holloway and Ricardo Lamas that bears much implication on the Featherweight division, a fan friendly Middleweight fight between MMA legend Dan Henderson and knockout artist Hector Lombard and a potential ‘Fight of the Night’ honours stealing bout between Dustin Poirier and the returning Bobby Green in the Lightweight division.
(#11) Dustin Poirier vs (#13) Bobby Green
This fight could see the winner crack into the top 10 rankings of perhaps the most talent stacked division in the UFC. Not only that, it is also likely to be a barnburner of a fight given that both men like to move forward and get into the face of their opponents.
But that’s about where the similarities end.
Dustin Poirier is coming off a successful foray into Lightweight after defeating Joe Duffy while Bobby Green is coming off a loss to Edson Barboza followed by a tumultuous year and a half lay-off riddled with both injuries and personal tribulations.
With both men already snapping at each other in the build-up to the fight, expect this one to be a treat for the fans. Two entertaining and hard-nosed fighters with a fair measure of skill and no shortage of heart are genuinely set to throw down.
Expect fireworks, and a very close fight.
Prediction: Dustin Poirier by Split Decision
(#15) Dan Henderson vs (#14) Hector Lombard
Dan Henderson has had a stellar career and is surely going into the UFC Hall of Fame once he hangs up his gloves. And that eventuality doesn’t seem too far off in the horizon either, as murmurings of imminent retirement have crept up from the Hendo camp in the lead up to this fight.
Even when he was pencilled to fight Machida in UFC on Fox 19 and the Brazilian was pulled from the card due to a USADA violation, Dan Henderson had hinted that this upcoming bout could be his last one.
The only downside here as far as Henderson is concerned is that Lyoto Machida got replaced with a far more dangerous opponent in Hector Lombard.
But in all fairness, both of them are one-punch knockout artists and could shut the lights out on any opponent in the drop of a dime.
Only, Hector Lombard – after poignantly changing his nickname back to “Lightning” from “Showeather” – could prove to be too quick and too powerful for the ageing Henderson, especially after returning to a more natural weightclass for him in Middleweight.
Prediction: Hector Lombard by T.K.O in Round 1
(#4) Max Holloway vs (#5) Ricardo Lamas
Though both fighters are a hair’s breadth apart in terms of rankings, this fight may not necessarily play out in a closely fought manner.
Top featherweight contenders Max Holloway and Ricardo Lamas battle it out to see who breaks into the upper echelon of the division containing the likes of Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo and possibly – if the weight cut is not too brutal – the champion Conor McGregor.
On a 8 fight win streak after his loss to Conor McGregor, Max Holloway is on a roll par none in the UFC currently and has evolved into a well-rounded fighter that can be comfortable in holding his own wherever the fight goes.
Ricardo Lamas prefers to grapple with his opponents and look for submissions so expect Holloway to keep the fight standing using his ever-improving footwork and look to reel off those smooth combinations.
Neither fighter has fight changing power so the better fighter over the duration of 3 rounds is likely to add to their win column.
And in this case, it is probably going to be Max Holloway.
Prediction: Max Holloway by Unanimous Decision
(C) Dominick Cruz vs (#2) Urijah Faber
One of MMA’s most storied and long-standing rivalries likely witnesses its final installment when Urijah Faber challenges Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz for his title in the co-main event of UFC 199.
The trash talk between the two has been revved up in the lead up to the fight and it would seem that a decade worth of bragging rights is at stake here, along with the small matter of UFC gold. And having been the only fighter to hand out a loss to Dominick Cruz in his career thus far, Urijah Faber looks and sounds confident of pulling off an upset in their third fight.
But it is worth noting that Dominck Cruz was a completely different fighter when he was caught in a guillotine by his rival back in 2007, and has arguably set the tone for the evolution of the sport since then.
TJ Dillashaw was considered to have been the fighter to breach the next frontier of MMA until a returning Cruz made him miss close to 300 punches in their fight back in January en route to reclaiming the Bantamweight Title that he never lost.
Faber may still be one of the quickest fighters to capitalise on scrambles and land heavy shots, but Dominick Cruz is a master of disrupting an opponent’s game plan and drawing them out from their comfort zone.
Like in their second fight, Faber may land the occasional overhand right that stuns Dominick Cruz but expect the Champion to put on a masterclass in footwork and evasion yet again in retaining his belt and ending one of MMA’s most entertaining rivalries on a high note.
Prediction: Dominick Cruz by Unanimous Decision
(C) Luke Rockhold vs (#4) Michael Bisping
Luke Rockhold may come across as smug, cocksure and press all the wrong buttons in terms of endearing himself to the mainstream public, but it is hard to argue that he is not one of the most talented fighters in the UFC and certainly, in the Middleweight division.
A combination of athleticism, technique, grit and know-how, Rockhold’s dominant win over Chris Weidman at UFC 194 only served to further confirm the notion that he is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the promotion today.
In their first encounter, Rockhold had Bisping on wobbly legs after a head kick and promptly finished the fight in the second round with a one arm mounted guillotine. Bisping is known to be a volume puncher but Rockhold’s reach advantage and lethal kicks kept him at range throughout.
The script leading up to their rematch, however, couldn’t be more different. As Bisping was eager to remind the Champion repeatedly, “Each fight is different.”
And this is a Michael Bisping coming off, in his mind, a successful Himalayan conquest against Anderson Silva.
Yes, it has been a curtailed camp for Bisping who took the fight on short notice, but feeling fresh and explosive could yet work in his favour.
Especially if Luke Rockhold’s admission that he tore his MCL in his training camp for this fight hinders the use of his kicks, the puncher’s chance that Bisping possesses could well be accentuated.
All that being said though, I would still be loath to bet against Luke Rockhold retaining his belt, and in dominant fashion.
Prediction: Luke Rockhold by T.K.O Round 3
