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Ex-Champion Questions Whether Arman Tsarukyan Can Keep His Emotions in Check at UFC 311

Ex-Champion Questions Whether Arman Tsarukyan Can Keep His Emotions in Check at UFC 311 Arman Tsarukyan could become a UFC world champion this week. But only if he can manage his emotions during…

Arman Tsarukyan could become a UFC world champion this week. But only if he can manage his emotions during what will be the biggest fight of his combat sports career thus far.

Emanating from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, UFC 311 will be headlined by a lightweight title tilt as reigning 155-pound king Islam Makhachev puts his gold up for grabs against Tsarukyan, the division’s top-ranked contender. It will be Tsarukyan’s first time competing since scoring a split-decision win over former titleholder Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April.

But despite the win over ‘Do Bronx’ being the biggest of his career thus far, all anyone seems to remember is Tsarukyan’s walkout for the fight.

As he exited the backstage area and made his way into the arena, Tsarukyan was met by a fan who flipped him the middle finger. Shockingly, ‘Ahalkalakets’ threw a punch at the individual before continuing his walk to the Octagon. Following the event, he was slapped with a $25,000 fine and a nine-month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

‘The Count’ questions Arman Tsarukyan’s temperament ahead of UFC 311

Offering his take on this Saturday’s headliner, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes Tsarukyan’s temperament could play a big role in his clash with Makhachev.

“The one thing that is slightly concerning me for Arman Tsarukyan is the mindset,” Bisping told TNT Sports. “The last time he walked out, he punched someone in the crowd… that tells me about your temperament and your ability to handle emotions in these big, big fights and that can be a game changer.”

Hopefully, Tsarukyan has learned his lesson, or he could be leaving The City of Angels empty-handed.

This weekend’s lightweight title fight will be the second-ever meeting between Makhachev and Tsarukyan, the first coming nearly six years ago at UFC on ESPN+ 7 when Tsarukyan was making his promotional debut. On that night, Makhachev came out on top via unanimous decision.

Since then, Tsarukyan has won nine of his last 10, skyrocketing him to the top of the division and putting him in place to not only claim his first world title but to also avenge one of only two losses inside the Octagon.

Unshakeable: Michael Bisping Reveals the Only Fighter He Couldn’t Rattle

Michael Bisping really knew how to piss off his opponents, but there was one fighter he simply couldn’t rattle….

Michael Bisping really knew how to piss off his opponents, but there was one fighter he simply couldn’t rattle.

Even by his own admission, ‘The Count’ was one of the UFC’s most obnoxious fighters during his 11 years with the promotion. Of course, Bisping became the middleweight champion after scoring one of the most epic short-notice shockers of all time against Luke Rockhold.

And he did it with one freakin’ eye.

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Two fights later, he would meet a man who remained cool, calm and collected no matter how much trash talk he threw at him.

“Georges St-Pierre was pretty unphasable, to be honest,” Bisping said during an appearance on the JAXXON podcast.

Michael Bisping and GSP both made history with their respective middleweight title wins

Bisping’s scrap with GSP came at UFC 217 in November 2017 and was the Brit’s second attempt at defending the middleweight title after landing a unanimous decision victory over longtime rival Dan Henderson the year before.

Unfortunately, Bisping would, like many before him, fail to come out on top against St-Pierre and relinquished his 185-pound crown to the French-Canadian icon. One fight later, ‘The Count’ hung up his gloves for good.

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Today, Bisping is a successful analyst, color commentator, and podcaster, but his name will forever be etched in the UFC history books as the promotion’s first-ever British world champion.

As for GSP, he never fought again after taking Bisping’s to make his own history as a two-division titleholder inside the Octagon.

Former UFC Champ Shuts Down Colby Covington’s Middleweight Dreams

There’s no way in hell Colby Covington moves up to middleweight and jumps immediately into a title fight ……

There’s no way in hell Colby Covington moves up to middleweight and jumps immediately into a title fight … Right?

In the last five years, Covington has gone a lowly 2-4 inside the Octagon with three of his losses coming in UFC title fights that, for the most part, he really didn’t earn. His only two victories during that timeframe came against Jorge Masvidal and Tyron Woodley, fighters who aren’t even on the UFC roster at the moment and ultimately exited the promotion amid their own winless streaks.

So is it possible that after struggling for years in the welterweight division, ‘Chaos’ could move up to 185 and use his star power to walk straight into another title opportunity?

Not likely according to former middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping.

“Colby Covington versus Sean Strickland. First of all, Colby’s too small—simple as that,” Bisping said in a video on his YouTube channel.

“Colby Covington, I don’t think he’s going to be fighting Sean Strickland anytime soon. I mean, for example, if Strickland goes out there and beats Dricus Du Plessis, there’s no way—there’s no way in hell—that Colby moves up to 185 and gets an immediate title fight.

“We know he’s used to getting a lot of title fights. He fought Kamaru Usman, right? He lost in round five. Then he beats Tyron Woodley. Then he fights Kamaru Usman again. He beats Jorge Masvidal, and then he gets a title shot again, right? You’ve had three title fights at 170. You ain’t going to walk into a title fight in your inaugural fight at 185.

Colby Covington could fight at 185, but it won’t be for a UFC title

After getting his ass handed to him against Joaquin Buckley to close out the UFC’s 2025, it’s safe to say that Covington’s stock has significantly dropped, even if he still curries a fair amount of favor with CEO Dana White by being a consummate company man.

Chances are, White would allow Covington to give it a go at 185, but with the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev still waiting for his title shot and surging contenders Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov slowly climbing the middleweight ranks, it’s hard to imagine ‘Chaos’ talking his way into another shot at gold.

Are you interested in seeing what Covington could accomplish by moving up a weight class?

Michael Bisping Includes Khamzat Chimaev & Tatiana Suarez On List of Likely New UFC Champions In 2025

The last two years have produced a staggering amount of title changes in the UFC. Following the record-tying eleven times that we heard “And New” in 2023, 2024 saw seven fighters capture the gold. Valentina Shevchenko, Raquel Pennington, Julianna Peña, Merab Dvalishvili, Ilia Topuria, Belal Muhammad and Dricus Du Plessis all got their hands on […]

Valentina Shevchenko, Raquel Pennington, Julianna Peña, Merab Dvalishvili, Ilia Topuria, Belal Muhammad and Dricus Du Plessis all got their hands on the most coveted prize in MMA but former champion Michael Bisping believes that 2025 will see less movement. In a recent episode of Fight Week on TNT Sports, Bisping (alongside co-hosts Adam Catterall & Nick Peet) gave his predictions for who will end 2025 as the champion of each division.

He believes that four belts will be held by different competitors in 12-months time. At women’s strawweight, Bisping predicted that Tatiana Suarez will finally realize her true potential by becoming the new champion whether or not she defeats Weili Zhang in the co-main event of UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia this February.

“I’ve got to go with Tatiana Suarez – I did say that this time last year. Of course, she’s fighting Zhang Weili, so we’ll see how that plays out. I just think the wrestling that Tatiana Suarez has is going to cause a lot of problems for a lot of people. This time next year, one way or another, she’ll be the champ.”

Bisping also believes that the women’s bantamweight division will have a new face in the form of Kayla Harrison. The former PFL star has made a huge impact since arriving in the UFC, producing back-to-back wins over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira to put her in title contention.

“The women’s bantamweight champion, there’s only going to be one name in discussion: Kayla Harrison. No offense to Julianna Peña, I think she’s great for the sport, she’s a fun person. She’s fun to sit and watch fights with because she talks a lot of s-h-i-t the whole time. She’s great, but Kayla Harrison, I believe, will be too big, too strong, too good at judo, too mentally strong, too fit. She’ll drag her down, she’ll get the submission, and she’ll also get the belt.”

The middleweight title is also set to be on the line at UFC 312 on February 8 but “The Count” does not see either man in that matchup ending the year on top. He believes that Khamzat Chimaev will become the champion by the end of the year, regardless of who he has to face to finally get his hands on the belt.

“It’s interesting because I’m looking at the rankings here. I never thought we’d see a year where Robert Whittaker wasn’t in the conversation. It just shows the sport is such a cruel mistress. Obviously, Khamzat Chimaev squeezed his teeth out last time, and yeah, I’m gonna have to say Khazmzat. Dricus (Du Plessis) is a tremendous champion. I think him and Sean (Strickland) will have another close fight, but I think regardless, when Khamzat gets his chance, he’ll be victorious. I mean, what he did to Robert Whittaker – I’ll never underestimate that man ever again.”

Last but not least, the Brit rounds out his four changes with a big one. Not only does Bisping think that Jon Jones will face Tom Aspinall this year, he predicts that the interim champion will unify the belts by becoming the first man to defeat the consensus greatest of all time (not including Matt Hamill via disqualification).

“If there is an interim champion, it will be Tom Aspinall. However, I don’t think there will be one. I believe that the reason Tom isn’t fighting at London is because Jon Jones–Tom Aspinall will go down. The biggest heavyweight fight the sport has ever seen. Maybe the biggest fight period that this sport has ever seen. Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and when the dust settles, ‘Tommy Aspinall, Aspinall, Tommy Aspinall! Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na!’”

Former UFC Star Believes Four New Champions Will Rise in 2025

Former middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping believes things will look a lot different in the UFC once 2025 comes to…

Former middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping believes things will look a lot different in the UFC once 2025 comes to a close.

During a recent appearance on TNT Sports’ Fight Week, ‘The Count’ suggested that four fighters will become first-time champions over the next year. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of those names is the undefeated Chechen monster, Khamzat Chimaev.

“It’s interesting because I’m looking at the rankings here. I never thought we’d see a year where Robert Whittaker wasn’t in the conversation,” Bisping said. “It just shows the sport is such a cruel mistress. Obviously, Khamzat Chimaev squeezed his teeth out last time, and yeah, I’m gonna have to say Khazmzat. Dricus (Du Plessis) is a tremendous champion.

“I think him and Sean (Strickland) will have another close fight, but I think regardless, when Khamzat gets his chance, he’ll be victorious. I mean, what he did to Robert Whittaker – I’ll never underestimate that man ever again” (h/t MMA Junkie).

Next up on Bisping’s list was another undefeated standout — Tatiana Suarez.

After going 10-0 in her mixed martial arts career, the Covina, California native will attempt to cash on her first shot at UFC gold when she challenges Zhang Weili for the strawweight crown at UFC 312 on February 8.

“I’ve got to go with Tatiana Suarez,” he said. “I did say that this time last year. Of course, she’s fighting Zhang Weili, so we’ll see how that plays out. I just think the wrestling that Tatiana Suarez has is going to cause a lot of problems for a lot of people. This time next year, one way or another, she’ll be the champ.”

‘The Count’ also believes 2025 will see former two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison claim her first belt under the UFC banner.

“The women’s bantamweight champion, there’s only going to be one name in discussion: Kayla Harrison,” Bisping said. “No offense to Julianna Peña, I think she’s great for the sport, she’s a fun person. She’s fun to sit and watch fights with because she talks a lot of s-h-i-t the whole time.

“She’s great, but Kayla Harrison, I believe, will be too big, too strong, too good at judo, too mentally strong, too fit. She’ll drag her down, she’ll get the submission, and she’ll also get the belt.”

Bisping picks Tom Aspinall to defeat Jon Jones in inevitable UFC title unification clash

Last but not least is Tom Aspinall, the UFC’s reigning interim heavyweight world champion. Aspinall captured the temporary title in November 2023 with a 69-second knockout of Sergei Pavlovich. Since then, he’s defended the belt against Curtis Blaydes while waiting for Jon Jones to settle some business with former two-time champ Stipe Miocic.

With Jones handing Miocic a decisive defeat at UFC 309, all signs point toward Aspinall finally merging his title with Jones’ undisputed heavyweight crown in what could very well become the biggest fight in the division’s storied history.

“If there is an interim champion, it will be Tom Aspinall,” Bisping said. “However, I don’t think there will be one. I believe that the reason Tom isn’t fighting at London is because Jon Jones–Tom Aspinall will go down. The biggest heavyweight fight the sport has ever seen. Maybe the biggest fight period that this sport has ever seen. Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and when the dust settles, ‘Tommy Aspinall, Aspinall, Tommy Aspinall! Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na!’”

Last year, Bisping went 6-12 on his year-end predictions, correctly predicting that Alexandre Pantoja, Islam Makhachev, Dricus Du Plessis, Alex Pereira, Tom Aspinall (interim), and Jon Jones would end 2024 as world champions.

UFC legend Michael Bisping Reveals the Secret Behind his Ridiculous Cardio

The Count’ Michael Bisping, the iconic British MMA fighter has long been admired for his unrivaled cardio in the…

The Count’ Michael Bisping, the iconic British MMA fighter has long been admired for his unrivaled cardio in the UFC. Known for his ability to outlast opponents in grueling, high-paced bouts, Bisping’s fitness was one of the cornerstones of his successful career. Now, the UFC Hall of Famer has revealed the astonishing secret behind his cardio.

Michael Bisping’s Cardio

He has a resting heart rate of just 32 beats per minute (bpm)—an incredibly low number even for elite endurance athletes. To put this into perspective, the average resting heart rate for most adults ranges between 60 and 100 bpm. Athletes, especially those in endurance sports, typically fall between 40 and 60 bpm, with elite marathon runners like Eliud Kipchoge and Mo Farah reporting a resting heart rate of 33 bpm. A heart rate of 32 bpm, as Bisping’s, is on par with the world’s best.

Michael Bisping’s legendary cardio was developed over years of relentless training. He began his martial arts journey at the age of 8, and his career in the UFC spanned 29 fights— tying him for the most appearances in UFC history. His endurance was showcased by his record-breaking cage time of over 6 hours, the second-longest in the organization’s history.

One of Bisping’s most iconic moments came at UFC 199, where he made history by becoming the first British fighter to win a UFC Championship. He achieved this feat by defeating Luke Rockhold via knockout, despite taking the fight on short notice. He successfully defended his title later that year in a five-round contest against Dan Henderson.

Bisping’s legendary fitness was the result of a holistic training approach, incorporating explosive power exercises, strength training, and high-intensity cardio sessions.