UFC on FUEL 5 marked Zuffa’s first trip back to England in nearly a year, so it was inevitable the topic would eventually turn to England’s favorite son, Michael Bisping.
Surprisingly, however, UFC President Dana White was the first man to do so. Speaking to reporters at the post-fight press conference, White was asked about the prospects of the UFC bringing a championship fight to Europe.
“I hope so,” White responded, before saying out of the blue. “It would be awesome to bring [Michael] Bisping over here if Bisping gets a shot at the title. We’ll see what happens. I know you guys want it.
“Anything is possible. It absolutely could happen.”
Bisping, who has long campaigned for at shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, recently called for his opportunity after defeating top contender Brian Stann at UFC 152. Later that night, White said of Silva-Bisping, “it would be an interesting fight,” though he refused to commit one way or the other.
After thinking it over for a week, White clearly remains interested in the drawing power of the match-up, given that he mentioned it unprovoked. However, he said there could be one giant stumbling block towards ultimately booking the fight in Bisping’s homeland.
“The biggest problem with coming to the U.K. is the time difference,” White explained. “When you’re trying to show this thing all over the world, the time difference is the hardest thing here. Even when we go to Brazil, it’s only a few hours off from the Unites States. But here, it’s eight or nine [hours].”