Although tensions between Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort seemed fairly tame leading up to Saturday’s UFC on FX 7, they flared up at Thursday’s press conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The two men threw verbal barbs in each other’s direction for most of the 45-minute pre-fight press conference, but in the obligatory staredown, things quickly heated up.
As the pugilists squared off, Belfort boldly put his right hand directly against Bisping’s chin. The Brit didn’t care for the picture that was being painted, so he shoved “The Phenom’s” arm to the side.
Clearly, Belfort didn’t care about Bisping’s feelings in regards to hand placement, as he returned his fist to the spot of agitation. “The Count” was clearly angered and pushed it away once again.
When the UFC’s Marshall Zelaznik stepped in to separate the two, Bisping loudly declared “I’ll f***ing see you Saturday.”
The former light heavyweight champion seemed unmoved by the threat, as he repeatedly exclaimed “I’m ready!”
The UFC posted a video of the incident on its official YouTube channel earlier today, and you can watch it above.
Since the press conference, Bisping has turned to Twitter to let out some steam and mock his overheated foe.
He touched my face so I pushed it away and he put it back a little aggressively, then he started shouting,… who’s the hooligan now eh? Lol
— michael (@bisping) January 17, 2013
Shortly after, “The Count” returned for another jab.
I literally just laughed at him. As it was funny to see him lose his cool like that. ….. Feeling the pressure vitor?
— michael (@bisping) January 17, 2013
Finally, he returned for one more.
This is moments before vitor lost his cool, I pushed his hand away and he flipped out like a hooligan. instagr.am/p/Ul_Q_mytZu/
— michael (@bisping) January 17, 2013
Additionally, ESPN posted an audio clip interviewing Bisping about the incident. The fired-up Bisping let loose once again. This time, he lost about 20 years of maturity by making comments about whether or not “The Phenom” has male genitalia. It goes to show you exactly how heated the middleweight contender truly is.
“Does he have a penis? He is a penis,” Bisping said. “Just because he is a penis doesn’t mean he has a penis.”
With things heating up only two days before the UFC’s return to Brazil, there could be enough tension to garner some decent ratings on an otherwise underwhelming card.
UFC on FX 7 takes place on Saturday night, with the main card airing at 9 p.m. EST on FX.
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