Michael Bisping has not fought in London since a 2010 decision victory over Yoshihiro Akiyama back at UFC 120.
This Saturday, not only will the Brit get to return home, he’ll do so against former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC Fight Night 84.
For Bisping, the bout presents a chance to position himself as a contender to current titleholder Luke Rockhold moving forward. “The Count” has won two straight to push his overall mark to 27-7, besting Thales Leites and C.B. Dollaway last year via decision.
When asked about the prospects of meeting “The Spider,” Bisping said “it’s probably the biggest opponent to date.”
“My first fight back in London,” he said, following open workouts (thanks to MMAjunkie.com for the quotes). “It’s a huge event.”
Bisping has shared the Octagon with Rockhold, Cung Le, Tim Kennedy, Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen over the years, but nothing compares to the Brazilian who ruled 185 pounds for nearly a decade.
“Anderson is the biggest opponent I’ve faced,” he said. “Outside of a world title fight, this is the biggest fight that is available to me right now. It certainly feels like that.
“It’s not just words. It feels like that. I feel the buzz, I feel the hype and I’ve trained accordingly.”