UFC 199: Rockhold vs Bisping Date: June 4, 2016 Arena: The Forum City: Los Angeles, CA Middleweight title bout: Michael Bisping (+540) vs Luke Rockhold (-600) Fight Breakdown: The main event for UFC 199 in Los Angeles will be a middleweight title fight between defending champion Luke Rockhold and the challenger Michael Bisping, with Bisping being a massive underdog to win at +540 ($100 to win $540) and Rockhold being a heavy betting favorite at -600 ($600 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. Michael “The Count” Bisping (28-7 MMA, 18-6 UFC) last saw action three months ago, where he took a unanimous decision victory over former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. The win put made him three in a row at 185-pounds, following a pair of unanimous decision wins over Thales Leites and CB Dollaway, respectively. “The Count” is a talented kickboxer with excellent footwork and a variety of tools in his striking arsenal. He was always a good striker, but he really began to hone his skills ever since teaming up with Jason Parillo several years back. The TUF Season Three winner works nice inside leg kicks and has a hard right hand he uses when presented with an opening. He has great takedown defense, and when taken down, does a tremendous job of getting back to his feet. He is very tough to keep down, even for a decorated wrestler. His offensive wrestling is solid, as well. Bisping works good takedowns, and has a good top game, being brutal and effective with his ground and pound whenever he does find himself in such a position. The 37-year old has tremendous conditioning, and despite this bout being on two weeks notice, I think he will have enough in the tank for a full five rounds of action, if necessary. Luke Rockhold (25-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) is coming off a third round TKO of then-UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman to capture the UFC 185-pound gold. Now riding a five fight winning streak inside the Octagon, he is set to make his first title defense against Bisping, an opponent he has already defeated on his current streak. In their initial meeting, Rockhold dropped Bisping with a head-kick at the start of the second stanza and capitalized with a guillotine choke to earn the finish. The 31-year-old is a very talented grappler, both offensively and defensively. He has solid wrestling and a great submission game. Rockhold is good at scoring takedowns, as well as defending them. He has a solid base heavy hips, thanks to his background in Judo, and needless to say, he is very hard to take down. To compliment his grappling, the California native is also tremendously talented on the feet. He is a very well-rounded fighter who excells in many areas of mixed martial arts. Rockhold generally dictates where his fights take place, and has Octagon control. His striking skills are excellent, especially the variety of kicks he dishes out. He has a nice flying knee, and works some beautiful spinning kicks. He throws some head kicks, but more-so likes to attack his opponents’ body with kicks and knees. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion works well against the cage, and he also likes to stand and trade with his opponents. He is always scoring points while looking for the finish. Rockhold is a fighter who competes with a lot of passion and heart, and he always carries it to the cage with him. Training out of the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, CA, the former Strikeforce middleweight champion is a well-conditioned athlete who should be ready for 25-minutes of action, despite dealing with an MCL injury. Gabe’s Call: Rockhold by T/KO (body-kick, 3:14 round 4) Gabe’s Thoughts: Putting it simply, I think this fight lasts longer than their first meeting, and I think Rockhold likely gets it done, but at the current odds, I like Bisping for a little stab. Gabe’s Recommended Plays: 1) Bisping/Rockhold Over 1.5 rounds (+117) 1u to win 1.17u and 2) Bisping (+540) .25u to win 1.35u
