Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping ran it back tonight (Sat., June 4, 2016) inside The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., headlining the UFC 199 pay-per-view (PPV) event little more than 18 months after their first encounter ended with "The Count" tapping to a guillotine choke.
And it was a very, very different outcome, with Bisping scoring a stunning first round knockout to become the new Middleweight champion of the world. No, no, that's not a typo.
Bisping immediately targeted the knee of Rockhold with a kick to get the action started, perhaps looking to pop that strained meniscus. Rockhold took it up a notch, blasting Bisping with two kicks to the body that were blocked, but definitely could not have felt good. Rockhold continued to use his legs as he tried to get a bead the Brit, looking for an opening so he could let his fist start flying. It was Bisping, though, who found a home for a hard hook that dazed Rockhold and sent him crashing to the canvas. Bisping didn't waste time, drilling the champion with another solid overhand left that once again floored him. Rockhold was sitting against the cage as Bisping stormed in, drilling him with a left, and then a right, as referee "Big" John McCarthy rushed in to pull him off.
That's it! THAT"S IT! Michael Bisping is the new Middleweight champion of the world in his twenty-sixth fight inside the Octagon. And he did it on just two weeks notice, filling in for the injured former champion, Chris Weidman, to try and avenge a bitter loss little more than 18 months ago.
Destiny!
For complete results from UFC 199: "Rockhold vs. Bisping 2," including play-by-play updates, click here and here.