Michael Bisping was on the brink on an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight title shot at UFC 100 way back in 2009, but then he circled into the nuclear right hand of Dan Henderson and, well, the rest as they say is mixed martial arts (MMA) history. “The Count” would flirt with potential world championship opportunities intermittently over the next several years, only to come up short seemingly at the last possible moments.
Then, finally, a bit of luck struck the Englishman earlier this year. Former 185-pound champion, Chris Weidman, was forced to withdraw from a rematch with Luke Rockhold, who took the belt off “All American” in brutal fashion at UFC 194 in Dec. 2015. Bisping was for once in the right place at the right time, accepting a rematch against Rockhold on short notice (two weeks) at UFC 199.
No one gave “The Count” much of a chance … not even his own kids. But, then, in his twenty-sixth fight inside the Octagon, Bisping exacted revenge against Rockhold and realized his championship destiny.
Our own Patrick Stumberg with the subdued live blogging call:
“Two minutes to go … Bisping low kick. Good check hook from the champion. BIG left hook drops Rockhold! He pops back up, only to get dropped with another hook. He goes down and Bisping lays into him until the lights go out. Michael Bisping is the UFC Middleweight champion.”
Bisping will now get to avenge that bitter loss to Henderson, 46, when he takes on the aging legend in the main event of UFC 204, which takes place inside Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, this Saturday night (Oct. 8, 2016). It has been dubbed a match-making “joke,” but, rest assured, Bisping will be all business this weekend.