Michael Bisping faces C.B. Dollaway April 25 at UFC 186 in Montreal, but he’s still got time to spread the love.
Bisping’s had a relatively quiet leadup to the bout with Dollaway so he’s spent it explaining how UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is unproven, complaining about Luke Rockhold headbutting him, telling Wanderlei Silva to uh … and calling Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson PED-using cheaters.
Join the party, CM Punk.
“At the end of the day it is the fight business, but the operative word is business,” Bisping told Michael Landsberg on TSN’s ‘Off the Record.’ “If he does attract people to the sport and he sells pay per views then god bless him. That’s his luck out. It’s none of my concern. My concern is what I get paid. I’m very happy with that.
“As I say, he has a fanbase, he has a following but that fanbase will diminish after he gets wiped out inside one round.”
Unsurprisingly, Bisping says he’d be more than happy to welcome Mr. Punk to the UFC family.
“Listen, I respect anybody that has the cajones to step inside an Octagon but if you’re coming from a professional wrestling background like he is, you know, this isn’t story time with mom and dad, this is the real thing. He’s gonna learn pretty hard and pretty fast that this was a gigantic mistake on his behalf.
“This is not pro wrestling, this is the fight business. This is the hurt business. If CM Punk really wants to get down and really wants a piece of the action then my name is Michael Bisping and I’m employed by the UFC. Give them a call and come and see me. I don’t hear that phone call coming in. He isn’t asking for me. I said from day one, if he wants to fight, if he wants to test himself, let’s do it.”
Not holding his breath, Bisping says UFC matchmaker Joe Silva could have his work cut out for him booking Punk in a fair fight.
“They’re still trying to find an opponent for him. They’re trying to figure out, ‘Who is someone that Phil Brooks could beat?’ That is a question. I don’t know. I don’t know if I can answer that.”
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Rampage scrum. Quinton Jackson talks about waiting for the courts to rule in his favor, his return to the UFC, fighting Fabio Maldonado and more.
Kick rocks. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson tells fans to ‘go watch WWE’ if they don’t like watching him fight.
Live Chat. Luke Thomas previews UFC 186, discusses Rampage Jackson vs. Bellator, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao and more in this week’s live chat.
Jacare. Ronaldo Souza’s manager says he’s ‘surprised’ by the contender dropping in the UFC’s middleweight rankings. ‘Definitely Jacare is ready to be the next contender and like he said on the press conference, he is 100 percent ready, it’s his time and he will finish anyone on his division.’
Illegal shot? Lyoto Machida says he was ‘really out of the fight by the end of the 1st round’ after being elbowed in the head by Luke Rockhold at UFC on FOX 15.
MEDIA STEW
UFC 186 embedded episode 2.
UFC 186 media day highlight.
Rampage’s return.
Mark Hunt has an incredible serve. (via r/MMA)
TTTHS.
Free Fight: Stipe Miocic vs. Phil De Fries.
Long watches.
Invicta FC 12: Official Weigh-In
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Submission Radio 19/4/15 Chad Mendes, Bas Rutten, Mike Swick, Richie Vas + UFC on Fox 15
TWEETS
That is danger.
Thanks to @Tommywalkup, the #BudLightLiving Champ, for helping me test my knee. Next one’s on me. #UFC186 https://t.co/F2nxTctuTo
— Georges St-Pierre (@GeorgesStPierre) April 23, 2015
Beef.
@MieshaTate your so unoriginal kind of like your fights style. Don’t worry just like you today ill signed when I get to gym. can’t wait !
— Jessica Eye (@jessicaevileye) April 23, 2015
@mieshatate there ya go !!! @ufc #thepurpose #UFCChicago #icantwaittofightyou pic.twitter.com/3av8Jx6mcx
— Jessica Eye (@jessicaevileye) April 23, 2015
@Gesias #justsaying @HashTgJustSayin dropping facts bruh! @ufc #ufc @AmericanTopTeam #TUF21 #TUFTruth
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) April 24, 2015
We didn’t leave for money, we left for a brighter future. #Blackzilians #dayone
— Yuri Villefort (@Yurivillefort) April 24, 2015
What i do with my next bonus money? I buy another bed to @MasioFullenMMA, maybe two, because Andy is still sleeping. @UFC_UK @mmaViking
— Makwan Amirkhani (@MakwanAmirkhani) April 23, 2015
Real quick..you’re a kicker @jayfeely https://t.co/bvUH0F2AO6
— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) April 22, 2015
I like it.
Gomi is the ONE fighter I have ever gone up to as a fan… Introduced myself knowing he didn’t speak… https://t.co/F09XZ7EqMs
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) April 23, 2015
Get well soon.
@lc_davis that’s exactly what they told me. Mine was broke back and wires Saturday. Root canal set for Monday. Hows it hold up?
— Corey Anderson UFC (@CoreyA_MMA) April 23, 2015
@FilthyTomLawlor my bad man … Thought we were only going 20%bro
— Mike Pyle (@Mike_Pyle) April 24, 2015
@Mike_Pyle your 20% ripped off 20% of my ear =)
— Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) April 24, 2015
Congrats.
I have inked a deal with @budlight. It is an honor to team up with this game changing brand as I too change the game. pic.twitter.com/2AdR2bBzpP
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 24, 2015
excited to have established a home with the UFC,just signed a new 5 fight deal! hope to hear about my next fight soon pic.twitter.com/eUQXiLEAPu
— Ray Borg (@tazmexufc) April 24, 2015
Award winning gym, Allstars Training Center, powered by gymgrossisten of course https://t.co/nqJvKbkXVb
— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) April 23, 2015
Sounds good.
#movin?? #housebythewater #2015 https://t.co/TMQu3MeUQF
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) April 24, 2015
Think so?
@Rampage4real man did you save the card!!!!
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) April 23, 2015
This week in struggle.
Soo thankful for this 🙂 https://t.co/IiOwWnMp7u
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) April 23, 2015
Sooooo sparring went well @alliancemma this morning with @jessicapenne @paulinagrana2 & @angelamagana1 #UFCAdelaide pic.twitter.com/p0F0UE83mq
— ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings (@RowdyBec) April 21, 2015
@ChrisCamozzi I never have that problem. 🙁
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) April 21, 2015
@RondaRousey wow tweeted Ronda about my baby doing an armbar, to realize I’m blocked! What did I do to be banned by a fellow Olympian?
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) April 23, 2015
#LoveYouTube #youtbesong use to use YouTube allot more till they changed the format so I can’t see… https://t.co/nW2QRtVzZa
— nick diaz (@nickdiaz209) April 23, 2015
Well…there goes my favorite pants #ThickerthenaSnickers pic.twitter.com/tznM9cdMly
— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) April 20, 2015
Dammit Kedzie, you made it, you burned it, you eat it. https://t.co/R8plytCceL
— Julie Kedzie (@julesk_fighter) April 21, 2015
I’m training my ass off! Please get me a fight @seanshelby pic.twitter.com/NdNvl6kGPm
— sarah moras (@sarahcheesecake) April 19, 2015
Note to self, do not eat the red covering on Babybel Cheese. It is not a candy outer shell
— Mitch Clarke (@MitchClarkeMMA) April 22, 2015
Can you belive this shit, i told my family that im almost home Can somebody come and pick me up from the… http://t.co/mNNVuZ0wcu
— Makwan Amirkhani (@MakwanAmirkhani) April 22, 2015
Ye Olde weight cut cat. Only weight cut cat understands me today pic.twitter.com/XTjry8iO8C
— Peggy Morgan (@peggymorganmma) April 22, 2015
At this time in weight cut I feel like the piece of Voldermort that died in Harry. The sad shell of a once great and terrible man #UFC186
— David Michaud (@bulldawgUFC) April 24, 2015
I am bummed about selling my bike. But it’s not the smartest vehicle for a professional a… https://t.co/VWjrqHWIbD pic.twitter.com/UAfvFCYQWP
— Leslie Smith (@LeslieSmith_GF) April 23, 2015
“@SportsCoach101: no disrespect, you didn’t beat Henderson you got smoked by pettis . You lucky dana loves u Thanks for the no disrespect
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) April 19, 2015
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (April 23 2015)
Takanori Gomi vs. Joe Lauzon at UFC on FOX 16
cancelled Mike Pyle vs. Sean Spencer at UFC 187
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via Alex C.
How the UFC can give “Mighty Mouse” some love
The on-going debate about whether current UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson is a draw is currently being waged somewhere in an article or MMA podcast near you. Let’s settle this quickly where in this space—he’s not.
At least not on his own.
Very few fighters in the world can carry an entire $60 price tag on their own and the simple math based on the evidence we have is that Johnson is not that guy and likely never will be. That isn’t too say he’s not an entertaining fighter or one that can’t draw an audience. But drawing a crowd and drawing a market are two different things.
Whether it’s his sheer dominance over his competition, his inability to get people going on the mic or the unfortunate stigma that is commonly associated with lighter weight fighters, there are any number of factors working against Johnson ever being one of the UFC’s cash cows. We don’t live in a fair world and the MMA space isn’t immune to this either.
…
Check out the rest of the post here.
Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.