Jason Parillo, who coaches UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, says that the champs matchmaking has been anything but easy, and Bisping isn’t ducking anyone.
Michael Bisping has been catching some heat lately from MMA fans. Since winning the title in a shocking upset over Luke Rockhold back in June of last year, it feels to many like the newly minted middleweight champion hasn’t exactly been out looking for the hardest fights he can get.
Bisping’s bout with Dan Henderson had a lot of bad blood and nostalgia appeal to it, but his recent booking against the freshly un-retired Georges St-Pierre has raised a few eyebrows.
According to Bisping’s coach, Jason Parillo, anyone who thinks Bisping might be ducking more difficult, Romero-shaped, challengers hasn’t taken a good look at ‘The Count’’s record. Speaking to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Parillo had a decidedly un-abashed take on Bisping’s opponents and his upcoming bout against the welterweight GOAT (transcript via MMA Fighting).
“We’re stoked. Not that it’s just a lottery with money. I know that people want to fight GSP because it’s a lottery of money and this is about money. It is. Once you’ve fought long enough you’ve got to get paid no matter which way you look at it and that’s where Michael Bisping kind of is at his career.
“Michael Bisping’s never ducked anybody in his whole career. He’s fought everybody. The last three fighters would kick GSP’s a** today. In a heartbeat. Do you understand what I’m saying? They would kick the s**t out of GSP. Are we concerned in fact that GSP can beat Michael Bisping? Of course. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day, especially a talented fighter like GSP. But we’ve been preparing for bigger beasts, badder beasts, stronger beasts and we’re gonna prepare for this guy. I promise you, Michael Bisping is gonna be good to go.”
As Parillo says, that doesn’t mean they’re overlooking St-Pierre, but it’s certainly a fight he sounds confident about Bisping winning, “[GSP] really is well-rounded in all areas and that’s what makes the victory – when we win this fight – even that much sweeter.”
At the moment, no specific date has been announced for the Bisping/GSP showdown, but the fight is likely going to take place in the latter half of 2017. Rumors that it could be booked for International Fight Week in July were quickly snuffed. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more news and updates.