UFC FN 55: Rockhold vs. Bisping

Date: Friday, November 7th
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass): 18:00 LP.net / 4pm PST / 7pm EST
Main Card (UFC Fight Pass): 21:00 LP.net / 7pm PST / 10pm EST
Live Streams: http://www.vipbox.tv (All MMA events are listed under the UFC button. Press the UFC button and you'll see the event in the list.)





Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)

Luke Rockhold (12-2) vs. Michael Bisping (25-6) (Middleweight)
Ross Pearson (16-7) vs. Al Iaquinta (9-3-1) (Lightweight)
Robert Whittaker (12-4) vs. Clint Hester (11-3) (Middleweight)
Soa Palelei (21-4) vs. Walt Harris (7-3) (Heavyweight)

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

Jake Matthews (7-0) vs. Vagner Rocha (11-3) (Lightweight)
Anthony Perosh (14-8) vs. Guto Inocente (6-3) (Light Heavyweight)
Dylan Andrews (17-5) vs. Sam Alvey (23-6) (Welterweight)
Vik Grujic (7-3) vs. Chris Clements (11-5) (Welterweight)
Richie Vaculik (10-2) vs. Louis Smolka (7-1) (Flyweight)
Luke Zachrich (14-3) vs. Daniel Kelly (7-0) (Middleweight)
Jumabieke Tuerxun (14-2) vs. Marcus Brimage (6-3) (Bantamweight)

Other

- Ray Borg was expected to face Richie Vaculik at this event. However, Borg was forced to pull out of the event due to injury and was replaced by Neil Seery. Subsequently, Seery pulled out of that bout as well and was replaced by Louis Smolka.
- Patrick Williams was expected to face Jumabieke Tuerxun at the event. However, Williams was forced out of the bout due to injury and was replaced by Marcus Brimage.
- A scheduled featherweight bout between Mark Eddiva and Mike De La Torre was scrapped after both fighters suffered injuries.
- Daniel Omielanczuk was expected to face Soa Palelei at this event. However, Omielanczuk was forced to pull out of this event due to injury and was replaced by Walt Harris.
- Aljamain Sterling was expected to face Frankie Saenz, though Saenz was forced to withdraw from the bout. Promotional newcomer Michael Imperato was briefly linked as a replacement. However, his signing was quickly rescinded and as a result, Sterling was pulled from the event altogether.

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First impression on the matches:

• Rockhold > Bisping
• Pearson > Iaquinta
• Whittaker > Hester (Whittaker is the smaller guy and is moving up from 170 to fight Hester at 185.)
• Palelei > Harris (Harris is the better athlete, but I think he's still green in MMA.)
• Matthews vs. Rocha (dunno)
• Inocente > Perosh
• Andrews > Alvey
• Grujic > Clements (Could go either way.)
• Smolka > Vaculik (Smolka is taking the fight on less than 2 weeks notice, but I still like him in this spot.)
• Zachrich vs. Kelly (dunno)
• Tuerxun > Brimage (Brimage will probably win, but Tuerxun be able to get it done this time. Tuerxun has the grappling advantage, while Brimage has the striking advantage.)

Looking forward to the main event and I think there is value on Bisping at +350

Rockhold > Bisping
Iaquinta > Pearson
Hester > Whittaker
Palelei > Harris

Not sure how Bisping wins other than Luke having a terrible fight. Lukes bigger, faster, stronger, better striking, better chin, equal or better cardio, equal wrestling, better BJJ. Should be a pretty easy win for him./

I like Iaquinta, his striking looks very good. He mixes it up very well. His only weakness so far has been his submission defense which he doesn't really gotta worry about with Pearson. Pearsons striking is also pretty good but I think Al's is a little better. He's also at a great camp and at that stage of his career where he improves leaps and bounds every time he fights. Close fight, but going with Al.

we have november now

Rockhold >>>>>>> Bisping
Iaquinta > Peason (Close fight, great value on Iaquinta ATM, agree with Stim's assessment of the fight completely, people forget Iaquinta is the only guy to beat Jury, who's a monster now)
Hester > Whittaker - Close fight, wouldn't bet on it, good fight
Palelei > Harries
Andrews > Alvey but I like Smilin' Sam, he had major Octo-jitters last time

Rest is shit.

On November 04 2014 17:48 MysticJoey wrote: we have november now

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rockhold > bisping
hester > whittaker
andrews > alvey

these are the only ones im comfortable with

Alright, I just got home. The prelims should be starting any minute.

http://firstrowus1.eu/watch/296488/2/...fc-fight-night-55:-preliminaries.html

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Kountermove 1: Guto Inocente, Louis Smolka, Soa Palelei, Caio Magalhaes, Marcus Brimage
Kountermove 2: Guto Inocente, Louis Smolka, Luke Rockhold, Chris Clements, Robert Whittaker

Sick KO from Brimage! He nearly kicked that man's head off.

On November 07 2014 18:13 PuertoRican wrote: Sick KO from Brimage! He nearly kicked that man's head off.

Replay looks like he only grazed him with the toe lol. Such a powerful kick though.

On November 07 2014 18:20 Stim_Abuser wrote: Show nested quote + On November 07 2014 18:13 PuertoRican wrote: Sick KO from Brimage! He nearly kicked that man's head off. Replay looks like he only grazed him with the toe lol. Such a powerful kick though.

Yeah, it took like 4-5 replays for me to see Brimage hit him on the chin with his toes. That power was the deciding factor.

GREAT finish by Chris Clements!~~~

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SICK action between Smolka and Vaculik, AND, SICK side-kick to the head of Vaculik to win Smolka the fight in the 3rd round!~~~

What a card so far. Side kick to the head KO's. Knocking yourself out trying to slam someone. A fight literally stopping because everyone in the crowd and the two fighters burst into laughter.

Love it.

http://gfycat.com/ImpossibleSnarlingGalapagosmockingbird

Someone even threw a potato in the Octagon.

On November 07 2014 19:42 soberstone wrote: What a card so far. Side kick to the head KO's. Knocking yourself out trying to slam someone. A fight literally stopping because everyone in the crowd and the two fighters burst into laughter. Love it.

For sure! This card has been exciting thus far.

The first 5 fight results:

Sam Alvey def. Dylan Andrews KO (slam & punches)
Louis Smolka def. Richie Vaculik TKO (side kick to the face & punches)
Chris Clements def. Vik Grujic TKO (punches)
Daniel Kelly def. Luke Zachrich Submission (kimura)
Marcus Brimage def. Jumabieke Tuerxun KO (head kick)

On November 07 2014 19:43 soberstone wrote: http://gfycat.com/ImpossibleSnarlingGalapagosmockingbird Someone even threw a potato in the Octagon.

Jesus, 7 straight exciting finishes. And I'm excited about seeing that Mathews guy fight again. Never watched him before that. Looks like a great athlete, definitely green with the striking but looks like a high ceiling fighter.

Walt Harris ran out of gas and then Soa started landing his strikes on the feet > then a take down > then TKO on the ground. Good stuff.

great job by whittaker

Fucking great card holy shit.

Sick performance by Robert Whittaker!

This is pretty nuts man. If Rockhold v Bisping happens to be a classic, this is card of the year stuff. I think Iaquinta v Pearson will probably be the first decision of the night tho.

Knew there was great value on Iaquinta, especially when he was at +160, but holy shit, didn't think he'd crack Pearson's solid chin. Tonight is amazing.

Iaquinta looked good tonight. Props to getting the TKO over a fighter who's hard to finish.

I took Iaquinta off your words. Hes really skilled. Happy about it.

rockhold looking like ben affleck

great performance by rockhold, he looked like the better fighter by a large margin
damn he looks huge too, both in height and in mass

Round 1 was basically Luke Rockhold finding his range and toying with Michael Bisping.

Rockhold felt comfortable in Round 2 and finished the job. eZ pZ~

I've been saying it for a while, and this fight doesn't prove it or anything, but I think Rockhold is #2 MW. He's better than Jacare, they have both gotten much better since their first fight, but I think Luke is superior over 5 rounds. Jacare may take 1 and 2, but he slows down and his game is based way too much off explosion and top-game jitz which won't work v Rockhold or Weidman.... Belfort will be worthless post-juice.

That said, Weidman beats that ass (Rockhold that is). Weidman #1.

Jacare vs Rockhold would be an excellent fight stylistically

On November 07 2014 22:59 Minsk wrote: Jacare vs Rockhold would be an excellent fight stylistically

I don't think it would. That fight against Francis Carmont showed some of the holes in Jacare's game.

Jacare's wrestling has improved over the years, but his striking is still basic and he relies on one big punch while he's on the feet. Also, Rockhold already beat Jacare back in Strikeforce, and I think Rockhold would probably finish Jacare in a 5-round fight if they fought in 2014.