Jay Primetown takes a look at the three biggest storylines to develop from UFC 199 in Los Angeles, California. #1 Career Defining Moment – 37 year old Englishman Michael Bisping had perhaps had the best career of any mixed martial artist without receiving a title shot. When he upset at Anderson Silva in a close five round fight, many thought that was his Super Bowl. That the victory over Silva would be the biggest victory of his career. When Chris Weidman was forced to pull out of UFC 199, the stars began to align for Bisping. Jacare wasn’t ready for the fight and Yoel Romero was suspended until the summer. With the UFC insistent on continuing to have Luke Rockhold defend the championship, Bisping was ready and able to jump in and take the fight. With a UFC career spanning nearly ten years, it was the first time Bisping was put into a title fight. Given the fact that Rockhold dominated Bisping in their first fight, very few gave the Englishman a chance in this bout. As the fight approached, Bisping began to get in Rockhold’s head and said he noticed some holes in tape that he would exploit during the bout. When the bell rang to start the fight, Bisping put pressure on Rockhold. It was an even contest through the first few minutes, when Bisping took advantage of the holes he saw on tape. Bisping noticed that Rockhold dropped his right hand which left him susceptible to a left hook. That is exactly what Bisping did. “The Count” caught Rockhold with a left hook staggering the Californian. Bisping poured it on knocking Rockhold to the floor and forcing referee John McCarthy to stop the fight. It was a stunning victory for the Englshman. Most MMA insiders believe Bisping would never have a chance at UFC gold, but when the opportunity presented itself not only did he take it, but he also delivered. Bisping had long been considered the best English MMA fighter, but this cements his place in history as the first ever UFC champion from England. How this helps to ignite the English MMA market could be Bisping’s true legacy. #2 The Hendo Legacy– Dan Henderson is the oldest fighter in the UFC. With a career spanning 19 years, Henderson’s career has spanned nearly all eras of MMA. He’s fought in the three biggest promotions in the history of MMA: Pride, Strikeforce, and the UFC. It’s incredible to think that at 45 years of age, Henderson is not only competing in MMA, but also doing so at a high level in the UFC. Henderson entered UFC 199 matched against Hector Lombard in a PPV fight. The fight was expected to be a firefight and it certainly was that. In what was a back and forth fight through the first round, Henderson took over in the second round. Given the length of his career, it’s incredible to believe that he had never landed a headkick before in his career. In the second round, Henderson landed a head kick that stunned Lombard and followed it up with an elbow to win the fight and his 32nd win overall in his career. With how he beat Lombard, there’s really not much else Hendo can accomplish in this sport. Henderson said after the fight that this may be his last fight in the sport. I can’t think of a better way to go out. #3 Oh, What a Night – While Bisping’s stunning knockout stole the night, top to bottom fans witnessed one of the best PPVs in the organization’s history. The night started with a lightweight bout between Dong Hyun Kim and Polo Reyes. At the end of the year, this fight will likely be considered one of the top five fights of the year. It was an action packed back and forth exchange with both fighters hurt multiple times in the fight. Reyes won with a huge knockout in the third round to get the crowd roaring and the night going. Jumping ahead to the TV prelims, Jessica Andrade made her UFC strawweight debut and absolutely dominated former title challenger Jessica Penne with brutal combinations. Andrade instantly entered herself into the title hunt with the win. In the next fight, Beneil Dariush scored one of the most devastating knockouts ever against James Vick. In the featured FS1 fight, Brian Ortega once again came from behind to win by third round finish over Clay Guida. The night was action packed before it even hit PPV. On the PPV card, Dustin Poirier continued his surge up the lightweight ladder with a first round finish over Bobby Green. Poirier has been on a roll since his knockout loss to Conor McGregor and is poised for a top ten opponent next. Another fighter making waves in the UFC is Max Holloway. The Hawaiian soundly defeated fellow contender Ricardo Lamas by decision to cement his place in the top five of the featherweight division. Holloway is well on his way to be a future champion. It looks like of matter of when, not if Holloway wears UFC gold. To cap it off, Dominick Cruz completed his trilogy with Urijah Faber. Cruz dominated the fight throughout 25 minutes to finally put an end to his rivalry with Faber. With a crop of young prospects at bantamweight, there’s no shortage of challengers for Cruz in the next few years. Overall, just an outstanding night of fights. UFC 200 has a fantastic lineup of fights, but it will be extremely hard to surpass the excitement that UFC 200 provided.
