Newly crowned middleweight champion Luke Rockhold - 15-2, 4 KOs, 9 SUBs - will make his first title defense in a rematch with Luke Rockhold - 28-7, 15 KOs, 4 SUBs - this Saturday at UFC 199 in Los Angeles.
Rockhold dominated Bisping in 2014, but the British star is confident the outcome will be different this time around.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker
Luke Rockhold -900
Michael Bisping +600
Over/under 1.5 rounds, over -110, under -110
Please note, the UFC odds at BookMaker are updated daily. The odds listed here may have changed since this article was written.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Rockhold is a massive 9-to-1 favorite, and there are plenty of reasons why he’s so expected. The fact that he manhandled Bisping in their first encounter is probably the most significant. Also, Bisping is taking the fight on just two weeks notice. He’s already stated that most of that time will be spent cutting weight, so you have to wonder how prepared he’ll be in the biggest fight of his life.
THE STAKES
If Rockhold can beat Weidman in a second straight bout, there’s a clear path for him to become a breakout star. He’s a good-looking dude, charismatic and absolutely lethal in the cage. It’s tough to see anyone besides Weidman really giving him a challenge. Jacare Souza and Yoel Romero come to mind, but they aren’t as complete as Rockhold.
For Bisping, fighting for the title validates a decorated UFC career that spans more than a decade. During that time, he’s been on the cusp of a title shot a few times, but always seemed to lose in de facto eliminators. Now, he’s got the opportunity to put a definitive stamp on his career.
FIGHT BREAKDOWN
Rockhold has the genes of an outstanding natural athlete. His older brother is a pro surfer, his dad was a pro basketball player in Europe and his mom dabbled in amateur tennis. His balance, flexibility and fluidity comes from a lifetime of surfing, high school wrestling and years of training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Since he started training at the famed AKA gym, head coach Javier Mendez tabbed Rockhold as a future champion. Even though he doesn’t have an extensive background in striking, the champion is a fantastic counterstriker. He is extremely difficult to hit, as he’s got a long reach and sits back in his stance.
His most infamous weapon is the round kick to the body, and it lands with one of the most satisfying thuds in MMA. However, his jiu-jitsu might be the most dangerous part of his game. Though Rockhold is difficult to take down, on the mat he can lock up submissions in an instant.
Bisping’s main weapons are his pace and offensive output. Primarily a stick-and-move fighter, we’ve seen multiple occasions where “The Count” simply wore out opponents with his footwork and activity. Though he’s never had knockout power, Bisping can quickly pepper opponents into a state of perpetual fatigue.
Over the years, Bisping has become a solid wrestler. He has good understanding of timing his shoots, and has become much harder to take down since he was a young prospect coming out of The Ultimate Fighter. It’s not really a big part of his game, but Bisping won’t hesitate to go for a double-leg if the opportunity presents itself.
BETTING VALUE AND PREDICTION
I see this fight playing out the same way as their first tilt. That means disaster for Bisping. While the Brit is a savvy, polished fighter who is absolutely deserving of his top-10 rank, he’s not as -- nor has ever been -- as good as Rockhold. The champions should walk right through Bisping’s pillow fists and put him away early.
UFC Odds: Luke Rockhold SUB Michael Bisping, Round 2
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