The UFC on Fox 2 media call went down last week and the UFC had the six main-card fighters on conference call with the media. It marked the first time that pound-for-pound trash talk champions, and recently announced opponents, Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping were both available to throw barbs at each other leading up to the fight this weekend.
Even though Bisping has amped up the talk over the weekend saying some interesting things about Sonnen’s luggage, let’s all hope the fight is much more vicious and exciting than the pre-fight lead up. Both fighters admitted that they respect each other in this sport and that the fact that the fight has been set so late is the culprit for the lack of verbal vitriol.
Bisping is well aware of the challenge he faces in Sonnen and what is at stake in this fight.
“I want the biggest fights possible and when the UFC said Chael Sonnen I jumped at it. It’s a bigger fight with bigger ramifications. People say I haven’t fought tough guys well here we are.”
Say what you want about the brash and cocky Brit, but you have to respect his response to those who think he is risking a title shot accepting this fight with a short camp.
“It’s all there for the taking, if I lose I don’t deserve a title shot. Obviously, I would have brought in more wrestlers, but I have been working with jiu-jitsu guys like Dean Lister and Jake Shields trying to take me down and submit me, so if Chael takes me down, a lot of it crosses over. I’m not gonna make excuses, I’m gonna fight my fight and I’m gonna win.”
Bisping also had some advice for those tuning in for the entertaining trash talk.
“Forget the trash talk, tune in for the fight. Who cares about the trash talk.”
For once, I actually like what Bisping is saying heading into one of his fights.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.
Catch him on Facebook and Twitter at wakafightermma.
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