Michael Bisping and C.B. Dollaway put on a show at UFC 186.
The fight went all three rounds, and both men got in their offense. It was closely contested through the final minute of action. Both fighters benefited from the fight, and the fans did too.
Bisping pulled out the narrow decision victory. His high-output style was too much for The Doberman on Saturday as the American faded in the later rounds. Even so, Dollaway came away as a winner on the evening.
This is what we learned from the action.
What We'll Remember About This Fight
No one thing was memorable, but it was a good fight. The fighters went back-and-forth with each man shining.
Dollaway's most notable moment came in the first round when he dropped Bisping but failed to finish. The Count recovered well by keeping Dollaway off him with his active guard. Bisping used his cardio to outwork Dollaway down the stretch by keeping a high pace.
It was a fun fight.
What We Learned About Dollaway
Dollaway had moved up the ranks with a few underdog wins, but this performance in a losing effort against Bisping proved he belongs.
We have seen great improvements from Dollaway, and he learned a lot from this fight against Bisping. We may see an even more dangerous Dollaway when he returns to the UFC for his next bout.
What We Learned About Bisping
This was a classic Bisping performance, so we didn't learn anything new about his skills, but this outing confirmed he will never contend for the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Father Time catches up to us all, and he has passed by Bisping.
The middleweight division has gotten a lot better since The Count first debuted in the UFC. It is no longer a shallow division where you are a title contender if you win three fights. The top end of this division is filled with animals with severe killer instinct. Bisping learned that when Luke Rockhold tore him apart.
Bisping can still be a fun fighter who tests the up-and-comers. He is serviceable, but that's it.
What's Next for Dollaway
The UFC should rebuild Dollaway with guys outside of the Top 15. Chris Dempsey makes a lot of sense for that line of thinking.
Dempsey came away with an impressive victory against Eddie Gordon at UFC on Fox 15, and the matchup with Dollaway will test both fighters. It's a win-win situation for the UFC.
What's Next for Bisping
No one in the current Top 10 makes sense for Bisping. And that's not a bad thing.
Roan Carneiro would be my selection. He returned to the UFC in fine form but is sitting at No. 15. It's still a ranked fight for Bisping against someone who makes sense. If Bisping can get past Carneiro, then the UFC can give the Brit another Top 10 opponent to see how close he can come to title contention.
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