The second Michael Bisping got thrown into a No. 1 contender’s fight against Chael Sonnen, the Internet blew up with fans saying Sonnen’s road back to Anderson Silva had just gotten much easier.
Sonnen was originally set to face Mark Munoz at this weekend’s event, a fight that would have been interesting due to the wrestling and ground-and-pound attack of both fighters. However, an elbow injury to Munoz forced him off the card just 10 days before the event, and now Sonnen is left fighting an opponent most fans believe is barely a threat.
Michael Bisping has had a relatively solid UFC career. He has a 12-3 record inside the Octagon and has beaten decent competition in two separate weight classes. The problem is that when he takes that step up in competition and starts fighting guys near title contention, he historically has struggled.
Bisping’s three MMA losses have come against tough veterans and top contenders Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and (to a lesser extent as a contender) Wanderlei Silva.
Not a terrible trifecta if you’re forced to have three losses, but it’s his lack of quality wins that has people shaking their heads.
Bisping’s biggest wins inside the Octagon are against Jason Miller, Chris Leben and a controversial decision win over Matt Hamill. Not that these three are bad fighters, but none of them will be anywhere near a UFC title in the near future, either.
I just gave you a decent case as to why Bisping should lose this weekend, but there was something I left out that should trouble even the most devout Bisping haters.
I never once talked about his actual skills as a mixed martial artist.
For all of the fans that talk-trash and want to hate Bisping—hate he probably deserves—most just used his resume as to why he isn’t a great fighter.
The thing is, Bisping has no control over whom he fights.
After taking out Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 120, Bisping called out fighters like Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia, hoping to get a win over an opponent that would validate his claim for a title shot.
Instead, the UFC matched him up with a solid mid-tier fighter in Jorge Rivera, who, to his credit, did his best to make the fight notable, but in the end a Bisping victory felt like a mere formality. Much like he does to all of his opponents, Bisping went out and beat up Rivera on the feet, using his jab, combinations and one illegal knee to pitter-pat “El Conquistador” until the fight was stopped.
In his next fight against Jason “Mayhem” Miller, another fighter whom Bisping felt was way below him in the middleweight rankings, Bisping showed his ability to get back to his feet after being mounted by the eccentric fighter and then proceeded to smash Mayhem with punches until the referee was forced to stop the bout.
Once again, “The Count” was dominant in his performance, and once again no one cared because he was facing inferior competition.
This weekend is Bisping’s time to shine.
Bisping has showed he is more than capable on the feet, and his takedown defense and ability to scramble back to his feet are both top notch, which will make him a tough opponent for Sonnen to grind out. Upsets are more common in MMA than any other sport, and Bisping has all the tools to pull out a win over the self-proclaimed “middleweight champion” this weekend.
Does this mean that you should bet the house on Bisping? No, of course not.
But at least give the man some respect by acknowledging the fact he has a chance.
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