Michael Bisping: Yoel Romero requesting an interim title shot is ‘laughable’

Bisping says it’s laughable that Yoel Romero thinks he deserves a middleweight interim title shot.

Michael Bisping just can’t help himself. The UFC middleweight champion continued to tease top contender Yoel Romero by stating that it’s laughable for him to request an interim title shot.

‘The Count’ was bombarded with criticism for accepting a middleweight championship fight against the newly-returned Georges St-Pierre, who has been absent from the sport for over three years.

The No. 1 ranked Romero is upset with the news and recently called for an interim title fight against MMA legend Anderson Silva, who ruled as the 185-pound champion for seven years before being dethroned by Chris Weidman in 2013.

Bisping, who pulled off the upset against then-champ Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, ripped into ‘Soldier of God’ on a recent edition of his podcast, Believe You Me.

“You’ve got Yoel Romero calling for an interim title shot, which is just desperate,” Bisping said, per Damon Martin of FOX Sports. “It’s laughable. It’s desperate.

“Interim titles are for if the champion is hurt or injured or taking time out. None of that’s happening. GSP’s fighting for the belt. So shut up, fight someone else in the meantime or sit on the side. One or the other.”

As well as Romero, the No. 2 ranked ‘Jacare’ Souza is also furious with the news of Bisping’s latest title fight and told Brazilian media outlet Combate that he hopes Bisping vs. GSP ends in a double knockout.

The 38-year-old Bisping, who is one of few champions to win a title late in his career, told Souza to act like a real ‘Christian’.

“Well first and foremost, ‘Jacare’ come on, my friend, that’s a very, very nasty thing to say. I thought you were all about love and God and this and niceness and spreading the beauty of jiu-jitsu and all this [expletive] but yet you call for us both to get knocked out? That’s not very Christian is it?”

Bisping then mentioned Jacare’s loss to Romero at UFC 194 and argued that the Brazilian is in no position to complain.

“Listen, I understand his frustration, of course. But the fact of the matter is he did lose to Yoel Romero. So he’s only won two fights since then. So he’s really got no one to be mad at but himself. He lost around a year ago so it is what it is. Yoel’s ahead of him when this fight happens.”

While no date or venue has been set, Bisping vs. St-Pierre is expected to take place during international fight week in July.

Bisping says it’s laughable that Yoel Romero thinks he deserves a middleweight interim title shot.

Michael Bisping just can’t help himself. The UFC middleweight champion continued to tease top contender Yoel Romero by stating that it’s laughable for him to request an interim title shot.

‘The Count’ was bombarded with criticism for accepting a middleweight championship fight against the newly-returned Georges St-Pierre, who has been absent from the sport for over three years.

The No. 1 ranked Romero is upset with the news and recently called for an interim title fight against MMA legend Anderson Silva, who ruled as the 185-pound champion for seven years before being dethroned by Chris Weidman in 2013.

Bisping, who pulled off the upset against then-champ Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, ripped into ‘Soldier of God’ on a recent edition of his podcast, Believe You Me.

“You’ve got Yoel Romero calling for an interim title shot, which is just desperate,” Bisping said, per Damon Martin of FOX Sports. “It’s laughable. It’s desperate.

“Interim titles are for if the champion is hurt or injured or taking time out. None of that’s happening. GSP’s fighting for the belt. So shut up, fight someone else in the meantime or sit on the side. One or the other.”

As well as Romero, the No. 2 ranked ‘Jacare’ Souza is also furious with the news of Bisping’s latest title fight and told Brazilian media outlet Combate that he hopes Bisping vs. GSP ends in a double knockout.

The 38-year-old Bisping, who is one of few champions to win a title late in his career, told Souza to act like a real ‘Christian’.

“Well first and foremost, ‘Jacare’ come on, my friend, that’s a very, very nasty thing to say. I thought you were all about love and God and this and niceness and spreading the beauty of jiu-jitsu and all this [expletive] but yet you call for us both to get knocked out? That’s not very Christian is it?”

Bisping then mentioned Jacare’s loss to Romero at UFC 194 and argued that the Brazilian is in no position to complain.

“Listen, I understand his frustration, of course. But the fact of the matter is he did lose to Yoel Romero. So he’s only won two fights since then. So he’s really got no one to be mad at but himself. He lost around a year ago so it is what it is. Yoel’s ahead of him when this fight happens.”

While no date or venue has been set, Bisping vs. St-Pierre is expected to take place during international fight week in July.