Bisping came into the fight as a heavy underdog but won in dominating fashion, sending Rockhold home with a first-round knockout.
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Oh, how wrong he was.
English fighter Michael Bisping turned his dream of becoming a mixed martial arts world champion into reality by knocking out Luke Rockhold in the main event of UFC 199 on Sunday, June 5 (Manila time) at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Bisping, of course, could not let that one go unmolested. “I know how to punch … but check this out, first-round knockout”, Bisping said with his mother and wife among family in the octagon. I’ve always been a fighter but there is nothing I do better in this life than fighting. “No one was taking it away”.
“This is the greatest day of my life, thank you all”.
“I will come back and kill you”, seethed Rockhold. Rockhold was largely dismissive of Bisping leading up to and even during the fight, right up to the point where Bisping dropped him with an overhand right and then knocked him unconscious against the cage 3:36 into the first round. This guy (Rockhold) demolishes everybody in the first round.
“I took it for granted”. This brings Rockhold’s number of UFC defeats to three. Bisping has become a much more patient boxer, with far crisper striking and more polished combos coming off his hands.
“A bit [overconfident], yeah”, he said.
The defeated champion started the press conference by explaining just how he had managed to lose to a fighter he perceives as being below him, shortly before Bisping entered the room, beer in hand. “He’s a tough guy, he’s a warrior and I’ve got to give him credit”.
Dominick Cruz dominated the majority of the fight to ensure that he ended this nine-year rivalry with Urijah Faber on top, retaining his UFC title in the process. The card was jam packed with a number of quality fights, including two UFC titles on the line.
The Lancashire veteran knocked out Rockhold in the first round of their middleweight title fight at UFC 199 despite stepping in at just 17 days’ notice to replace the injured Chris Weidman.
His victory was the 19th of his UFC career, tying longtime welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre for the most wins in the promotion’s history.
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A true MMA Cinderella story if there ever was one.
