Michael Bisping’s lengthy tenure as a top contender in the UFC’s middleweight division may finally be at its end. Having been convincingly bested by Luke Rockhold at UFC Fight Night 55, it’s hard to imagine the 35-year-old Brit re-establishing himself as a viable title challenger.
It’s a sad fact that Bisping may be remembered as one of the sport’s great “nearly men,” his title aspirations having been frequently thwarted by opponents fueled by synthetic testosterone.
The TUF Season 3 winner was never quite good enough to actually claim a UFC title, but his ability should have at least earned him a shot at the gold.
The Mancunian is now approaching his late 30s and has lost four of his last seven fights. Bisping’s post-fight interview was characteristically defiant, but even he must be questioning his ability to compete with the elite of the middleweight division.
Where does he go from here? Let’s take a look at the Brit’s options.