The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., plays host to UFC 199 Saturday and despite a late switch in the main event, this pay-per-view card packs a serious punch with two title fights and a number of intriguing matchups. There are also a number of fighters on this card in desperate need of a victory.
Here’s a look at five fighters on the “hot seat” at UFC 199.
Michael Bisping
An injury to former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman has presented an incredible opportunity for late replacement Bisping. Not only does the TUF 3 winner earn the first UFC title shot of his 35-fight career but he also gets a rematch against current 185-pound champ Luke Rockhold. Bisping was stopped for just the third time in his career when Rockhold submitted him back at UFC Fight Night 55 in November 2014. Since the loss, the UFC on FOX analyst has racked up three straight victories over C.B. Dollaway, Thales Leites and Anderson Silva. But make no mistake about it, its UFC championship gold or bust for the 37-year-old. Throughout his 10-year tenure in the UFC, Bisping has suffered a number of losses in high profile fights, including setbacks to Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Tim Kennedy and the aforementioned Rockhold. Should he come up short in another marquee matchup, don’t be surprised if the father-of-three decides to hang up his gloves for good.
Urijah Faber
Faber hopes a third UFC title shot will be a charm as he locks horns with current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. This matchup will close out the trilogy between the pair. “The California Kid” defeated Cruz at WEC 26 in 2007, while the Alliance MMA product defeated Faber in 2011 at UFC 132. These two also served as coaches on Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter and were slated to have their trilogy matchup at UFC 148 in 2012 before an injury forced Cruz off the card. The Team Alpha Male member would go on to amass a 6-3 record after that matchup fell through. His only losses were a pair of championship setbacks to Renan Barao and a unanimous decision defeat to Frankie Edgar last year at featherweight. At 37 with a number of opportunities missed, this is likely Faber’s last chance at winning a UFC title.
Hector Lombard
Lombard returns to the middleweight division for the first time since 2013 when he battles 45-year-old Dan Henderson. Since coming over from Bellator — where he was the promotion’s longtime middleweight champion — back in 2012 Lombard’s UFC tenure has been disappointing to say the least. He has amassed a 3-3 record plus one “no contest” against Josh Burkman at UFC 182 where he tested positive for anabolic steroids. The American Top Team product heads into this matchup coming off the first TKO loss of his career, where Neil Magny stopped him in the third round at UFC Fight Night 85 back in March. The 38-year-old hopes a move back up to the 185-pound division will rejuvenate his career. Henderson has won just twice in his last eight fights and this should be Lombard’s fight to lose. If he comes up short against Henderson, a former Pride and Strikeforce champion, don’t be surprised if the UFC cuts ties with him.
Clay Guida
In a classic prospect versus veteran matchup, Guida hopes to inject life into his career by taking out 25-year-old Brian Ortega. A mainstay with the UFC since 2006, Guida has remained employed by the UFC for his fan friendly style and action-packed fights. However, recently the eight-time “Performance of the Night” winner hasn’t found the type of success he had hoped for since dropping to the featherweight division in 2013. “The Carpenter” is 3-3 in his last six fights and heads into this matchup off a submission loss to Thiago Tavares at UFC Fight Night 77 last November. Even more concerning is that all three of those losses were by stoppage. If the Elevation Fight Team product falls flat again on Saturday night against his undefeated foe, he may be a casualty of UFC roster cuts.
Kevin Casey
Casey looks to get back on the winning track in his hometown of Inglewood as he battles former MFC middleweight champion Elvis Mutapcic. The 34-year-old is in his second stint with the UFC after he was released in 2013 following a TKO loss to Josh Samman at the TUF 17 Finale. He went on to rack up three straight victories with the RFA promotion before rejoining the UFC in 2014. His second go-around has been forgettable though. He tested positive for an anabolic steroid after defeating Bubba Bush at UFC 175 and the matchup was changed to a “no contest.” Then, just two fights later, he earned another “no contest” after suffering an accidental eye poke against Antonio Carlos Junior at UFC Fight Night 80 back in December. He heads into this matchup off a third-round TKO loss to Rafael Natal at January’s UFC on FOX 18. Should he suffer back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, he could be an expendable roster member for the UFC.
Here’s a look at the lineup for UFC 199 on Saturday night.
MAIN CARD
— Luke Rockhold (c) vs. Michael Bisping – middleweight title fight
— Dominick Cruz (c) vs. Urijah Faber – bantamweight title fight
— Max Holloway vs. Ricardo Lamas
— Dan Henderson vs. Hector Lombard
— Bobby Green vs. Dustin Poirier
PRELIMINARY CARD
— Cole Miller vs. Alex Caceres
— Clay Guida vs. Brian Ortega
— James Vick vs. Beneil Dariush
— Jessica Andrade vs. Jessica Penne
— Tom Breese vs. Sean Strickland
— Luis Henrique vs. Jonathan Wilson
— Elvis Mutapcic vs. Kevin Casey
— “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim vs. Polo Reyes
