Michael Bisping said Cung Le would be his first step back towards middleweight title contention, and it was pretty memorable step. Not only did the 35-year old Brit leave Le in a battered state, but he took home some extra pocket change as well.
Bisping was awarded one of four Performance of the Night bonuses for his fight with Le in Macau at UFC Fight Night 48. He took home an addition $50,000.
Bisping methodically picked apart the 42-year old Le, mixing up his striking with kicks and combinations en-route to a fourth round stoppage (TKO). He landed a big left hand that closed up Le’s right eye in the second round, and then marked Le’s face for the rest of the fight. The fight was exactly what Bisping had hoped for after losing unceremoniously against the grinder Tim Kennedy in April.
When asked who he wanted to face next, Bisping reiterated what he had said before the Le fight — that he wanted Luke Rockhold (who is currently ranked No. 5 in the media-devised UFC rankings). Dana White said that a Bisping-Rockhold fight was a possibility in the post-fight press conference.
Also taking home $50,000 bonuses were Tyron Woodley, who stood in for the injured Hector Lombard and smoked Dong Hyun Kim in 61 seconds (TKO). Woodley rebounded from a June loss to Rory MacDonald, in what was considered a top contender fight.
Alberto Mina (who finished Shinsho Anzai in the first round via TKO) and Yuta Sasaki (who defeated stalwart Roland Delorme) also received performance bonuses of $50,000.