UFC 199 Fallout

UFC 199 was easy to forget about. After all UFC 198 was held in a massive stadium and UFC 200 will be the biggest show the company has ever held. Hell there were even report Luck Rockhold wasn't happy to fight on the card because “Everyone will just skip this show.” Little by little though things started to fall in favor of this card. Due to a PED issue by Lyoto Machida that allowed Dan Henderson to become part of the card. Rockhold vs. Weidman 2 could have been an excellent fight but adding Michael Bisping added new fuel to the build up. And of course his win was a near perfect cap to an event and a career. But something extra special just happened. Maybe it was the fighters wanting to stand out on the smaller show or send a message to the UFC “I should have been on the big shows.” Maybe it was the spirit of Ali. Maybe it was just lighting in a bottle.

The In Ring Action- You know this was going to be an amazing night based on the very fist fight. Marco Polo Reyes and Dong Hyun Kim battled in a movie fight. That is what Joe Rogan called it and he was dead on. Reyes and Kim seemed to only throw hay makers and some how took more punishment than almost anyone could. Reyes got the win via knockout in the third. In the first televised fight of the night Alex Caceres put on one of his stronger performances. Cole Miller had a few chances to pull out the win but in the end took a decision win. For years Jessica Andrade was a tough fight for anyone at Bantamweight now fighting at Straweight she appeared to be unstoppable in her first fight. Former title challenger Jessica Penne is tough but for the second straight fight Penne took a fairly one sided beating. Andrade landed a number of hard shots in a fight you almost have to wonder if her corner or the referee should have stopped it sooner. How can you not feel for Clay Guida. One of the most exciting and beloved fighters in UFC history put on one of his best fights in years. Than with just twenty second left Brian Ortega knocked him out with a knee. Suddenly the fight was no longer Guida's comeback but in stead Ortega’s heart showing moment.

The main card was epic. Dustin Porier has been a wrecking machine since moving up to lightweight. But man did Bobby Green fight stupid. I know the defense is he plays mind games but you would think after the first knockdown a guy would stop playing. Instated Green more or less asked to be finished. Dan Henderson and Hector Lombard have both had some major ups and downs the last few years. Both men have amazing power and can finish pretty much anyone they land on. The first round saw both men nearly get fished with power punches before a dazed Lombard got the fight to the ground and went for a submission. In the second Henderson went for a head kick. Lombard caught the leg only for Henderson to come back with a vicious back elbow and than finished the fight with two more hard elbow shots. Henderson admitted this might have been the final fight of his great career. I can’t think of a better highlight to go out on.

In a sleeper fight Max Holloway continued to show he might be the best featherweight on the current roster. Blessed now has won nine in a row. Facing off with former title challenger Richardo Lamas Holloway used his range to perfection. He didn't get the finish but he should be faulted for the fact Lamas is and always has been though. Only Chad Mendes has ever been able to finish him.

How much fighters truly hate each other is often over played. Not in the case of Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber. The two men were almost meant to be foes as they clash on almost every level. The two finally met in a rubber match nearly a decade after there first fight and five years after the second. The first seemed like a replay of the second fight. Fairly close. Faber looking to land big power shots and Cruz moving to avoid them. The first minute of the second seemed say it was going to be another close just like that. Than Cruz landed on big game changing punch. Faber dropped hard. From that point on Faber was pretty much done. Going into the fight Faber time and again mocked Cruz for a lack of power. Cruz's movement made it nearly impossible for Faber to hit him and after getting caught he wasn't willing to take risks. This time there was no doubt who the better fighter is.

Luke Rockhold should have learned from Anderson Silva. When Silva lost the middleweight title it was by not respecting the power of his opponent. And when Silva lost to Michael Bisping earlier this year it seemed he underestimated The Count's talent. Rockhold did both. Rockhold's best weapon standing is his kicks but he kept letting Bisping get into boxing range. Maybe he just listened to much to the experts. Almost anyone breaking down the fight felt Bisping's best chance to win was via decision. He would have to do what he always does set a high pace with a large volume of strikes. But in the UFC anything can happen. Rockhold over committed on a punch in a round he was winning took a shot to the body than a punch to the chin dead on. The man many fans have said has pillow fits. The man that could never win the big one. The man that destined to be the greatest fighter to never even get a title shot is now world champion.

Biggest Winners

Michael Bisping- Well of course he was going led this section. For years Bisping has always just been out of reach of a title shot. Part of that is his fault with mistakes such as circling into Dan Henderson's right hand. Bad judging like his loss to Chael Sonnen or being the victim of a loophole like when a TRT loaded Vitor Belfort KO'ed him. A few years ago when he lost the first fight to Rockhold it seemed he was fading. He hadn't won back to back fights in years, he had dealt with a bad eye injury (That is still visible) he had two awful performance close together in the loss to Kennedy and Rockhold. But rather quietly Bisping strung together a winning streak. Earlier this year he beat Anderson Silva while many only focus on the flying knee most ignore that was one of the best performances of his career. And franking one of the grittiest to get up and survive to the end of the fight.

And again luck went his way. Weidman got hurt, Jacare couldn’t get cleared. Most wrote him off with good reason. He had already lost to Rockhold who had followed up crushing Machida and Weidman. He didn't get a camp so there were doubts he would have his trademark gas tank. Rockhold might have been overly cocky but it was Bisping's job to still win. He read what was going on. He saw Rockhold's chin up and hands down and he landed. And just like that he is a champion. He will has forever erased the “Can't win the big one” knock. Hell Bisping's story almost reads more like a movie now. No matter what happens now Bisping achieved his goal is a World Champion.

Dominick Cruz- The feud between Cruz and Faber is over. Odds are trash talk will still happen but end of the day Cruz has won the feud. And while he didn't get a finish he did much dominated the fight and hurt Faber several times. Having beat Dilliashaw already and now easily beating Faber there is a real question is who could beat Cruz. Who could beat that movement?

Dan Henderson- Why it's not for sure we have seen Henderson for the last time you couldn’t have scripted a better way for him to go out. Close to home with his family watching Henderson landed a devastating knockout. Hell there is legit chance that will wind up being KO of the year.

Biggest Losers

Luke Rockhold- “There are different levels to this game.” “Anderson Silva isn't on my level.” “He lasted to long last time.” “It's his destiny to be my bitch.” Rockhold is always cocky Now when you are winning and looking spectacular its fine but when you lose and get knocked out by a rival its time to eat crow. No matter what Rockhold want to say about over committing the fact is he's no longer the champion. The history books will always read Bisping ended his UFC title reign. The other problem for Rockhold there is not a clear cut path back to the title. Having been KO'ed in the first he can't claim he should get rematch. Jacare Souza seems to be the front runner for the next title shot. And well nothing says “You will get a title shot ____.” We have seen plenty of one and done title holders in MMA.

Urijah Faber- Faber is now the holder of a record no one wants most UFC title shots with out winning a title once at 0-4. He's also 0-6 in title fights of any kind since losing the WEC Featherweight title. Add in the facts 37 with a lot of miles on his body at 42 pro fights. Also you could argue Faber hasn't really looked like an elite fighter since his win over Michael McDonald. Faber most and likely got the last title shot he will ever get. It doesn't help that Faber just looked so off in this fight. Once he got hurt in the second he pretty much did nothing the rest of the fight.

Clay Guida- How can you not feel for The Carpenter. His fight with Brian Ortega was the best he's looked in a long time. He seemed to be on his way to a much needed win over an undefeated fighter. Than with just twenty seconds left Guida took a hard knee right to the jaw and had lost via knockout.

Hector Lombard- Has anything gone right for Lombard since joining the UFC? Is he the biggest bust singing the company ever had? Lombard is now 3-4 with 1 no contest with the UFC. He's been suspended due to a PED test. In his last two fights Lombard has been KO'ed. The fight with Henderson was a toss up for him. A fight he could have won against another fading star. But he came out on the wrong side of a few hard elbows.

What comes next?

Jacare Souza should get the next shot at the UFC Middleweight title. Jacare should be undefeated in the UFC and has a great skill set that makes him a threat to anyone in the company. Also he would have been the man challenging Rockhold if not for an injury at UFC 198 preventing him from getting clear. Although there might be some concerns about if the soft spoken Brazilian can sell on PPV the truth is Bisping's mouth can more than make up for it. For Luke Rockhold I think the perfect fight would be Yoel Romero. Back at UFC 194 Romero beat Jacare but a great deal of controversy surrounded the fight. Including a failed drug test. Both men have knockout power. Romero was a Olympic wrestler and we know how good Rockhold is on the ground.

For Dominick Cruz I think the best option would be for him to face Demetrius Johnson. The two fought way back in 2011. Cruz won a close decision. Since than though Might Mouse has gotten much better is seen by man as the pound for pound best fighter in the world. Now currently Johnson has one title fight booked at 125 and than is supposed to face the winner of the next season of TUF. So if the super fight doesn't work out the best option would be the winner of the rematch at UFC 200 between TJ Dilliashaw and Raphael Assuncao. Dilliashaw is a former champion who had a close and exciting fight with Cruz earlier this year. It would be interesting to see if Dilliashaw could close the gap in a rematch. Assuanco has been cursed with injures for years now but he's on a seven fight winning streak and another win over Dillashaw would no doubt clinch a title shot.

Goodbye Ali

“I must be the greatest… Float like a butterfly sting like a bee… Rumble young man rumble...” The quotas are endless. The talent at times seemed unmatched. The shadow he cast over the world not just of boxing but the world as whole is so large that is seems shocking he wouldn’t be a heavyweight in the modern world of boxing. He was only 6'3 and weighed about two hundred and ten pounds. In today's modern era of boxing filled giants such as the Klticshko Brothers and Tyson Furry he would most and like fight as either a light heavyweight or crusierweight. And in many way Ali would not fit in with the modern world boxing all that well.

Muhammad Ali was all about risk. Both in the ring and out of the ring he risked it all. In 1984 he said “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” But modern boxing so much of the risk has been removed. The records are often padded out. The best rarely fight the best. Just look at Mayweather and Pacqiuo who spent years playing a game of “No you go.” When negotiating a fight and than finally stepped in the ring and board the crowd to tears. If GGG the most feared and avoided man in boxing today were a heavyweight in the 60's I feel Ali would not only fight him he would boldly declared he would turn him into lower case g because the beating would be that bad. After all Ali had already risked it all when he destroyed Sonny Liston.

Liston was Mike Tyson before Tyson was Tyson. He was a viscous knockout machine. He was truly dangerous in and outside of the ring. He had annihilated Floyd Patterson to win the title and than again in the rematch. Few gave the than Cassius Clay a chance. As the famous tale goes only two sports writers picked him to win. He was already viewed as two small and his habit of going backwards was viewed a huge flaw that would cost him. But Ali showed no fear taunting Liston and breaking him mentally before the first bell even rang. Sonny Liston never mounted much offense. But in the fourth Ali was suddenly blinded in his eyes. Some type of substance many believe placed on Liston by his corner got in his eyes and blinded him.

Trainer Angelo Dundee worked to flush the young challengers eyes. Still though Ali would have to fight the fifth round against a destroyer and dangerous fighter unable to see correctly. By the sixth Ali was fine and mounted another blistering attacking. Liston knew it was over he had no chance to win and would quit on the stool in the seventh. In the rematch he knocked Liston out with a single punch the image of Ali standing over the fall Liston is iconic.

In all Ali would defend his world championship eight times until he was drafted. Ali by this time have already rejected his slave name and a member of the Nation of Islam refused to serve In the army sighting his religious beliefs. He was stripped of his title banned from boxing and faced going to jail. Think for a moment of any athlete today that would willing to lose it all for something they believed in. Most avoid given any type of stance at all. Eventually the conviction was over turned and he granted a licensee to fight again. Ali fight outside the ring cost him three and a half years of his prime.

In the interim Joe Frazier had won the championship. The two had actually be friends with Frazier even helping out Ali while he was banned. But with a chance to regain his title Ali turned on him. The first fight was an epic event the kind of which boxing would kill to have again. Ali was lose but the fight was so close a rematch seemed to be a sure thing. Than things changed. Frazier would be annihilated by a than unknown George Foreman and lost the title. Ali would win the rematch with Frazier and than target Foreman.

Much like in his fit with Liston few if any gave him a chance. He was no thirty two years old. Since his return he appeared to have lost a step. Foreman was younger and had so easily blown through Fraser it seemed Ali was doomed. The fight would become the Rumble in the Jungle. With the back off the massive crowd in Zaire Africa Ali would reclaim his title. Using what would be known as the Rope a Dope Ali let Foreman punch himself out. Throughout the fight he be taunting Foreman. “Come on George… Is that all you got George.” Munch like Liston, Ali showed no fear and was once again the champion of the world.

The time had come to settle the score with Frazier once and for all. It would be known as the Thrilla in Manellia. It was a brutal final war between the top two fighters of there time. Both men came close to death in that ring. Going into the fifteenth and final round Frazier's trainer Eddie Futch refused to let his fighter answer the bell. Ali had won the feud and further cemented his legacy as The Greatest.

Ali would lose and regain his title one more time. He retired for a time and than announced his return in 1981 to challenge than Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes. The combination of father time and Holmes own amazing skills were to much for Ali. He would lose when his own trainer Angelo Dundee stopped the fight unwilling to see him take more of a beating. While Ali would fight again for all intensive purposes this was the end. Muhammad Ali would never again challenge for a heavyweight championship.

There is so much more the amazing contributions Ali made to the civil rights movement, his battle with Parkinson, his work for the UN including the time he helped to negotiate the release of fifteen hostages in Iraq. But when I think of Ali. I will think and admire the risk taker. It would have been easy for him to stay Cassius Clay smiled and just fought. Instead he was willing to be unpopular to be hated. He could have taken easy fight or just lived off his reputation. Instead he took the uneasy path. Ali could have been a great champion but by taking risks he became an Icon, a Hero, A Legend. “I Must Be the Greatest!” Yes he was.