UFC 199 Aftermath

By DeQwan Young
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Updated: June 5, 2016

It’s been a long journey for Michael Bisping in a career of ups and downs but he has finally realized his dream and can now call himself the UFC Middleweight Champion. When we were first introduced to Michael Bisping on The Ultimate Fighter season 3 it was obvious that he was going to become a star. Not only a star but the first European MMA superstar. Although Ian Freeman was the first British fighter in UFC history, neither MMA nor the UFC at the time were viewed in the same light as they eventually came to be when Bisping first arrived on the scene. On the Ultimate Fighter, not only did we see that Bisping was a talented fighter but also that he possessed the charisma and wit to match. Bisping’s career took off after his appearance on the Ultimate Fighter, main eventing and headlining many cards for the company and becoming a top level star. Although Bisping was considered superstar status, something still eluded him in his great career: a UFC title shot. Chris Weidman’s neck injury (although unfortunate) turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the 37 year old Michael Bisping. Throughout his career whenever he came close to a title shot, for differing reasons, Bisping ended up coming up on the short end of the stick. At UFC 199 against the talented Luke Rockhold, Bisping not only became the middleweight champion but he also shocked the world in the process, avenging a previous loss that had haunted him for 2 years now

Going into the fight it baffled me as to how Bisping could win this fight especially on only 2 weeks notice, considering how dominant Rockhold was in the first fight. In the end he proved not only me but the whole MMA community wrong when he ended the fight with a crashing left hand. Bisping throughout his career was never known for his knock out power but more so his technique and cardio. He has put all the doubters to rest and finally achieved what I felt he was destined to do 10 years ago, and become the first British UFC Champion. What does the future now hold for both fighters? For Bisping, it seems like he will now defend his championship against top contender Jacare Souza. As for Luke Rockhold, it’s back to the drawing board and working his way back up to #1 contender status. A rematch with Vitor Belfort makes the most sense for Rockhold as it is a fight he has wanted to avenge a previous loss for a while now.

Also, with the conclusion of UFC 199 we saw the end of the chapter of the Cruz/Faber rivalry with Dominick Cruz winning a dominant decision over his long time rival Urijah Faber. Though it may be the end of their personal rivalry it certainly doesn’t mean the end of the Cruz and Team Alpha Male feud. With Cruz’s constant back and forths with Faber’s new prodigy Cody Garbrandt, that looks to be a possible big money match up for Cruz in the future. Garbrandt is still at least one more fight away from getting a title shot though. Cruz most likely will face off against the winner of Raphael Assuncao vs. TJ Dillashaw at UFC 200 in an intriguing rematch. The first fight between Cruz/Dillashaw was razor close and a lot of people had Dillashaw winning. Though Assuncao has been inactive for awhile now his resume speaks for itself. Assuncao previously defeated Dillashaw in 2013 and was going to receive a title shot but injuries forced him out and Dillashaw replaced him. And thus history was made with Dillashaw defeating the champion(at the time), Renan Barao, in dominating fashion. With a win, either fighter definitely should have the opportunity to get the next crack at Cruz. Faber’s tone in his post fight interview made it sound like retirement is near for the 37 year old. Even though he has never won a title in the UFC he certainly has the resume of a future Hall of Famer. He became one of the biggest lower weight draws in MMA and paved the way for fighters in the Featherweight division. He was the best Featherweight in the world for many years when the division didn’t even exist in the UFC and certainly will go down as one of the most accomplished Bantamweights and Featherweights of all time. Coaching will be Faber’s calling with his fighting career nearing an end. He has run Team Alpha Male for many years creating a brand for himself and his stablemates, and has shown his superb coaching ability on 2 seasons of the Ultimate Fighter.

Another fighter nearing the end of his career is the legendary Dan Henderson. With a comeback knockout win over highly regarded knock out artist Hector Lombard, what better way for Henderson to leave the sport he has helped transform into what it has become today. Henderson has had a storied near 20 year career with accomplishments any MMA fighter can hope to strive for. He possesses wins over legends like Fedor Emelianeko, Shogun Rua, Rich Franklin and his memorable knockout of current UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping. Henderson’s most defining moment in my opinion would have been his knockout of Wanderlei Silva, when he became the first ever two division world champion at both Middleweight and Light Heavyweight. With this being his last fight on his current UFC contract, it’s hard to imagine Henderson fighting again and with all honesty I don’t believe he could leave the sport on a higher note than his win last night. Regardless, I salute you Dan Henderson for giving us some of the most storied moments in the sport that of all us will be able to pass on to our grandchildren.

All in all, UFC 199 was a very eventful night with stunning upsets, comeback wins, and memorable knock outs. All of this as we set our sights now to possibly the biggest week in MMA history as the milestone UFC 200 weekend is now next for the company. And with the news of WWE Superstar and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar returning for one fight only, that weekend cannot get any bigger.