Michael Bisping was very likely one victory away from earning a shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva when he stepped into the Octagon against Vitor Belfort in January of this year. Six minutes and 27 seconds into that fight, Bisping’s hopes were dashed.
That was the amount of time that had elapsed in the bout before Belfort caught Bisping with a head kick. That kick, the second one of the fight that dropped Bisping, was then followed up with some ground and pound, and that was all she wrote for Bisping.
Following the loss to Belfort, Bisping didn’t need to wait long to find out who his next opponent would be, learning before the end of January that he would meet Alan Belcher in his next bout.
Belcher, like Bisping, is coming off a loss to a high profile opponent, dropping a unanimous decision to Yushin Okami at UFC 155.
Bisping and Belcher will face off in the co-main event of UFC 159, which will take place on April 27 from the Prudential Center in New Jersey. Headlining the card will be a title fight between light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen.
The outspoken Bisping recently talked about his upcoming fight with Belcher, changes he made following the loss to Belfort and his plans for the future. Of course those plans include a shot at the UFC title no matter who holds the belt, Anderson Silva or Silva’s next opponent, Chris Weidman.
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