Strange times have been experienced at middleweight recently. Right about the time that Chris Weidman defeated Anderson Silva, things started down a new path, leading us to a highly unexpected 2016 in the 185-pound division. As ‘The All-American’ planted that left hook on Silva way back in 2013, we knew for sure anything was possible. Who would have predicted, though, that three years later Michael Bisping would hold the title.
Taking nothing away from ‘The Count,’ but prior to his title win, the British slugger had fallen at the final hurdle before the title shot. Crushing losses to Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort saw the long-serving Brit come up short, but his fortunes really changed in 2015. Victories over CB Dollaway, Thales Leites and Anderson Silva led Bisping to a UFC 199 rematch with Luke Rockhold. His KO victory was equal parts entertaining and unexpected.
Unexpected Rematch
Although ageing veteran Dan Henderson was miles outside the title picture, he was paired with Michael Bisping in an unlikely rematch at UFC 204. ‘The Count’ would win the battle of attrition after five rounds, but the strange occurrences at middleweight weren’t over yet. Bisping went on record as saying he would not fight Yoel Romero if he beat Chris Weidman at UFC 205. Referencing Romero’s USADA pop, ‘The Count’ caught more backlash from ‘Soldier of God’ on social media.
With the rivalry building, Romero left no questions in New York. Typically explosive, the Cuban blasted the former champion, and today Bisping had a change of heart. Claiming he’d agreed to fight Yoel Romero at a yet-to-be determined event next spring, Michael Bisping was strangely complimentary of his next opponent. This leads us nicely to the topic of who will win this 185-pound title tilt.
Sprint vs. Marathon
Looking at the first round of both men’s recent fights, it’s clear to see how they implement their striking game. Romero, against Weidman at UFC 205, threw just 40 strikes over the course of ten minutes & 24 seconds of action. although ‘Soldier of God’ only needed that one knee to finish the fight, he landed a total of 18 strikes at an accuracy of 66%. Bisping’s last fight, against ‘Hendo,’ saw the champ throw 335 strikes over five rounds, landing 119 at an accuracy of 35%.
Bisping’s stand up has improved massively, and his power is consistently overlooked, but he is outmatched in terms of KO ability against Romero. Obviously this isn’t the ‘be all & end all’ of this fight, but a big factor nonetheless. If the past year at middleweight has taught us anything, though, it’s that anything’s possible with the current crop of 185-pounders.
Anderson, Chris, Luke, Michael
If you thought the title championship timeline would go like this, well then you shoulda put money on it. The odds of the belt going through the hands of Anderson Silva to Chris Weidman were long enough, but for Michael Bisping to finally reach UFC gold was just insane. The brash Brit hit everyone for a six when he cold-cocked ‘Rocky,’ so what’s to say he can’t do the same against Romero?
The biggest difference aside from physicality is wrestling. If Romero is getting lit up by Bisping, which is possible, he has the wrestling base to control even the elite of the division. Interesting times at middleweight, and surely a few more spots up the pound-for-pound rankings if Bisping wins.
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