Before Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold steps inside the cage tonight (Sat., June 4, 2016) against Michael Bisping, and current Bantamweight king Dominick Cruz defends his belt opposite Urijah Faber, at UFC 199 live from The Forum in Inglewood, California, a portion of the event's "Prelims" undercard will take place on Fight Pass starting at 6:15 p.m. ET.
Find out what happened right here as the Fight Pass preliminary recaps roll in live:
Sean Strickland vs Tom Breese
Previously undefeated Welterweight Tom Breese (10-1) attempted to continue his divisional ascension when he took on rising prospect Sean Strickland (18-1), who recently knocked out Tristar Gym standout Alex Garcia. After a fairly docile first round that featured back-and-forth exchanges on the feet, Strickland began to aggressively pursue Breese and test his conditioning with forward combinations, leg kicks, and non-stop movement. With momentum on Strickland's side, Breese opened up in the third and began to strike first. But it was Strickland who shook off a late takedown by the Brit and landed more damage along the way. The 170-pound tilt wasn't as exciting as the rest of the Fight Pass bouts, but it was an impressive performance for Strickland who won via split-decision. He extended his divisional win streak to three.
Some hard kicks to the body being landed by @BreeseMMA! #UFC199 https://t.co/Qkj1gDI5C6
— #UFC199 (@ufc) June 4, 2016
Jonathan Wilson vs Luiz Henrique da Silva
In a battle of undefeated Light Heavyweight prospects, Wilson (7-1) and da Silva (11-0) went toe-to-toe in order to impress UFC brass. It was Wilson who did more damage early on with heavy body shots, uppercuts, and left hooks inside, although da Silva landed significant body kicks from distance. After wading through countless da Silva knees to begin the second, Wilson knocked the Brazilian down with a vicious left hook. But it was da Silva who turned to his ground game, transitioned to full mount, battered the American with punches and earned the second-round TKO victory to remain undefeated.
Here comes @Jonnybravo2k11 laying it on Luiz! #UFC199 https://t.co/4xNaI9iQbo
— #UFC199 (@ufc) June 4, 2016
Kevin Casey vs Elvis Mutapcic
Despite the death of his father-in-law, Muhammad Ali, TUF alum Casey (9-4-1) took to the Octagon tonight to face Mutapcic (15-4-1) in a fight he needed to win to stay afloat at 185 pounds after losing to Rafael Natal at UFC on FOX 18 via TKO. The Rickson Gracie-trained veteran wasted no time in taking Mutapcic down and scoring points in top position. After winning Round 1, Casey continued his dominating ways by gaining full mount and raining heavy shots. But after fading on the heels of countless knees to the body and legs by Mutapcic, Casey allowed "The King" to get back into the fight and disrupt the judges' scorecards. In the end, the bout was ruled a majority draw. It is the third time in his five-fight promotional career in which Casey's bout has been ruled a draw or no contest.
OH MY TAKEDOWN!!! @KingKevinCasey #UFC199 pic.twitter.com/z3YWtGThRP
— #UFC199 (@ufc) June 4, 2016
Polo Reyes vs Dong Hyun Kim
After losing his UFC debut at 170 pounds, Kim (13-8-3) did not disappoint in his first fight as a Lightweight. With easily one of the best first rounds in divisional history, both Kim and Reyes (6-2) waged epic war, throwing countless left hooks, short elbows in the clinch, blistering knees, and explosive power shots that resulted in tremendous damage. Luckily for fight fans, the second round was just as good, offering timely combinations, crippling body shots, and unparalleled heart. But in the end, it was Reyes who secured the TKO win by hitting Kim with two straight right hands in the middle of the third round. It was one of the best fights of 2016 thus far, the favorite to win UFC 199 Fight of the Night honors, and a contest that UFC commentator Joe Rogan called an "unrealistic expectation about how many punches a person can take."
Polo Reyes w/ the beautiful finish!!! #UFC199 https://t.co/xQnhwTGGOf
— #UFC199 (@ufc) June 4, 2016