Michael Bisping is not happy with the hypocrisy of MMA fans.
It’s been almost one year since Michael Bisping dethroned Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, but the Brit still hasn’t been embraced as the rightful middleweight champion.
After knocking out Rockhold in a stunning upset last year, ‘The Count’ defended the belt against Dan Henderson in a grudge match in Manchester, England, and is expected to defend the title for a second time against former welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre sometime in the fall.
Bisping has been bombarded with criticism for accepting the GSP fight while Conor McGregor, the current UFC lightweight champion, has been given the all-clear to pursue a boxing megafight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Bisping is not happy with the criticism and went off on a rant on his podcast Believe You Me on Monday.
“Whatever I do I get [expletive] off everybody,” Bisping said, per Damon Martin of FOX Sports. “Conor McGregor can do no wrong. He is Jesus reincarnated,” Bisping proclaimed. “He can walk on water. He can do whatever the [expletive] he wants. He can leave the sport of UFC and go chase a boxing match and that’s still the best thing ever, holding up two divisions whilst he’s at it.
“Me, Jesus Christ, all I try to do is get a big payday and I’m scum of the Earth. I am the devil.”
McGregor, 28, was criticized for not defending the featherweight title and was stripped of the belt shortly after capturing the lightweight strap against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.
‘The Notorious’ has come under fire for abandoning the 155-pound division in pursuit of a boxing showdown against Mayweather but Bisping, 38, has received much more criticism for his decision to accept a fight against St-Pierre.
Bisping says the fans need to accept his decision and told the rest of the 185-pound contenders to stop whining — He’ll get to them once he’s taken care of GSP.
“Here’s the thing, the top seven [fighters] are calling me out, whichever one of them, because they’re all tough. They’re all tough guys, let’s be honest. They’re all very, very good. Whichever one of them I pick, the other six are all going to [expletive] and whine and complain. So you can’t win,” Bisping said. “I’m fighting Georges St-Pierre, [expletive] deal with it. If you want to fight in the mean time, go ahead.
“Luke Rockhold’s still talking [expletive], he hasn’t put a glove on since I knocked him out in the first round. Yoel hasn’t fought in a long time. If you’re so good, continue to fight. When I didn’t have a title shot, when I wasn’t the champion and didn’t get a title shot, I didn’t whine and [expletive] and complain. I just got on with it and I kept fighting. I hoped and I always had that in my heart, I would keep fighting and keep doing what I can do and here I am. I got there in the end. So guys, stop whining, stop [expletive], just get on with it.”
Bisping vs. St-Pierre was originally expected to take place during international fight week in July, but the championship bout has reportedly been pushed back to the fall.