Here are the five best matchups at UFC 199: Rockhold vs Bisping 2
The UFC makes its first trip to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. with two title fights and a star-studded lineup sure to excite the West Coast crowd. The stacked event is headlined by the rematch between middleweight foes Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping as the California native Rockhold looks for his first title defense.
And while the fight between Rockhold and Bisping is a fantastic grudge match, UFC matchmakers Sean Shelby and Joe Silva really outdid themselves when they constructed this card.
Take a look at the five best matchups at UFC 199.
The grudge match to end all grudge matches, Cruz and Faber face off for the bantamweight title in a fight that should finally end the war of words between the two veterans. Faber, 37, is a bit longer in the tooth than Cruz, 31, but what he lacks in youth, he makes up for in experience. With 41 professional bouts under his belt, "The California Kid" should be ready for anything come Saturday.
Cruz lands more strikes per minute than Faber and avoids an insane 75 percent of the strikes thrown at him, but Faber is the more accurate striker and more effective grappler, having finished more than half of his fights by submission.
Cruz's footwork will be key here, as he has the ability to stifle Faber's power in the same way Frankie Edgar did against the Team Alpha Male leader in 2015.
Oddsmakers don't see this fight as a very competitive one, but my money is on Cruz and Faber duking it out in a back-and-forth war.
This is a battle between two of the purest strikers in the UFC lightweight division. Neither Green nor Poirier have shown a desire to take the fight to the ground, as both fighters average less than two takedowns a fight and aren't very accurate when they try.
Where they excel is in the standup game. Poirier lands 4.89 significant strikes per minute compared to 4.16 for Green, which is far above the UFC average of 2.5. Poirier is the more accurate fighter while Green's elusiveness has helped him defend 68 percent of significant strikes thrown his way.
These guys are going to stand in the center of the Octagon and trade and no one is going to complain one bit.
Holloway and Lamas square off in a traditional striker vs. grappler matchup that pits two of the world's best featherweights against one another. Need I say more?
Holloway, winner of eight straight fights, is poised to earn a shot at the featherweight title but will have to get past the ever-tough Lamas first. Holloway lands 42 percent of his strikes, on par with the UFC average, but lands an incredible 5.49 significant strikes per minute.
He also has successfully defended 81 percent of the takedowns his opponents have attempted. He'll have his hands full with Lamas though, who has completed a takedown in all but three of his UFC fights.
If "The Bully" can get the fight to the ground, it could be a long night for Holloway.
In the most underrated fight of the night, undefeated prospects Sean Strickland and Tom Breese go toe-to-toe in a sure preview of the future of the UFC welterweight division.
Strickland, 25, is 4-1 inside the Octagon and has nine career first-round finishes under his belt. He's really honed in on his striking and striking defense over his last two fights, outlanding his opponents 155-62, as evidenced by his 4.17 significant strikes landed per minute and his 68 percent defense rate.
Breese, who fights out of England, is just as deadly on his feet. He's finished two of his three UFC fights in the first round, and while he averages almost one less significant strike per minute (3.29) than Strickland, he more than makes up for it by landing just about 60 percent of his strikes thrown.
This is another fight that will largely be fought standing.
Tired of the stand-up wars listed above? Well, fear not, as Miller and Caceres are here to save the day for you grappling fans.
Neither fighter is against standing and trading, especially Caceres, who has twice landed over 100 significant strikes in the Octagon and looked far more comfortable on his feet in his last fight, his featherweight debut against Masio Fullen.
But these guys make their money on the canvas. Combined, Miller and Caceres have 20 career submission wins, and the winner on Saturday night will likely have one more beside their name.
