Michael Bisping was very likely one victory away from earning a shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva when he stepped into the Octagon against Vitor Belfort in January of this year. Six minutes and 27 seconds into that fight, Bisping’s…
Michael Bisping was very likely one victory away from earning a shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva when he stepped into the Octagon against VitorBelfort in January of this year. Six minutes and 27 seconds into that fight, Bisping’s hopes were dashed.
That was the amount of time that had elapsed in the bout before Belfort caught Bisping with a head kick. That kick, the second one of the fight that dropped Bisping, was then followed up with some ground and pound, and that was all she wrote for Bisping.
Following the loss to Belfort, Bispingdidn’t need to wait long to find out who his next opponent would be, learning before the end of January that he would meet Alan Belcher in his next bout.
Belcher, like Bisping, is coming off a loss to a high profile opponent, dropping a unanimous decision to YushinOkami at UFC 155.
Bisping and Belcher will face off in the co-main event of UFC 159, which will take place on April 27 from the Prudential Center in New Jersey. Headlining the card will be a title fight between light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and ChaelSonnen.
The outspoken Bisping recently talked about his upcoming fight with Belcher, changes he made following the loss to Belfort and his plans for the future. Of course those plans include a shot at the UFC title no matter who holds the belt, Anderson Silva or Silva’s next opponent, Chris Weidman.
Ever since news surfaced that Vitor Belfort had obtained a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) to inject himself with steroids before his fight against Michael Bisping at UFC on FX in January, the Brit has found it difficult to keep his mouth shut about th…
Ever since news surfaced that VitorBelfort had obtained a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) to inject himself with steroids before his fight against Michael Bisping at UFC on FX in January, the Brit has found it difficult to keep his mouth shut about the incident.
Bisping, who was poised to become a No. 1 contender in the middleweight division with a win, was knocked out by a vicious Belfort head kick in the second round.
When it was revealed that Belfort had obtained a TUE before the fight—given to fighters who can’t produce enough testosterone—Bisping’s attacks started.
Initially, he expressed his disappointment that a fighter “who was caught cheating with testosterone in the past” can now use testosterone legally (h/t MMA Fighting).
Belfort, who has been constantly harassed over his testosterone use, has responded to Bisping with snide comments of his own.
Yesterday, he posted a picture on Twitter of someone delivering a head kick to a dummy, with the words “Look Michael Bispin [sic] my kick on your head become a fever in Brasil.”
Bisping’s response:
@vitorbelfort you only fight where your allowed to cheat. Fight me in Vegas.. Oh..you can’t because your not allowed to use your steroids
Bispinghas been vocal in his opposition to fighters who obtain a TUE for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
TRT is extremely controversial, since many believe it allows fighters to cheat with steroids without detection. TRT is even more controversial when it comes to fighters who obtain a TUE after having already been caught as drugs cheats in their career, as is the case with Belfort. In 2006, while fighting for Pride, Belfort tested positive for anabolic steroids.
That test failure came in Las Vegas, and even though he was granted a TUE when he fought against Bisping in Brazil, it’s unlikely he’ll be granted one if he fought in Vegas.
Keith Kizer, the man in charge of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), already said last week that it would be “unlikely” to see Belfort given a TUE to fight in the state.
Belfort is currently the third ranked middleweight in the UFC after champion Anderson Silva and No. 1 contender Chris Weidman. He is currently slated to face Strikeforce’s last middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold, at UFC on FX 8 in May in Brazil.
That is, where he’s already received a TUE before and could receive one again should he apply.
Never let it be said that UFC middleweight Michael Bisping doesn’t have a sense of humor. A few weeks back, Bisping’s opponent at UFC 159, Alan Belcher, offered up a bet that said if Bisping could knock out the Mississippi-born fighter in the first rou…
Never let it be said that UFC middleweight Michael Bisping doesn’t have a sense of humor.
A few weeks back, Bisping‘s opponent at UFC 159, Alan Belcher, offered up a bet that said if Bisping could knock out the Mississippi-born fighter in the first round of their bout, he’d have to get a tattoo of the British flag on his chest. If Bisping lost, he’d in turn have to get the same Johnny Cash tattoo that Belcher sports on his left arm.
When that bet fell on deaf ears, Belcher then found the support of former Alabama defensive end and current Cincinnati Bengal Wallace Gilberry, who offered up his Rolls Royce worth $300,000 if Bisping could beat his friend at UFC 159.
Well, on Wednesday Bisping finally responded with a video of his own.
Needless to say Bisping isn’t buying into Belcher‘s gambling game ahead of their showdown at UFC 159, and responded in kind following the video ‘bet’ he was wagering.
“You realize how stupid you look Belcher, you sat with Wallace Douche-berry in the back of the Phantom making these big stupid bets. It’s pointless,” said Bisping. “April 27, UFC 159, you’re getting knocked out. You know it, I know it, we all know it.”
At the very least, Bisping and Belcher are creating the best comedy heading into UFC 159 in April before the two middleweights finally square off in the co-main event taking place in New Jersey on April 27. The main event that night pits UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones against fellow Ultimate Fighter coach ChaelSonnen.
Being a “contributor” for CagePotato.com is kind of like being a barback at a seedy nightclub in Tijuana. We stock the bar with booze, ice, and clean glassware while staying in the shadows hoping to God that we don’t get yelled at. We try to help out wherever we can so the star bartenders (Ben Goldstein, Jared Jones, Elias Cepeda and Seth Falvo) can toss bottles of shitty Tequila like juggling pins while they pour fruit-flavored cocktails to semi hot chicks that they will inevitably hump later on. A contributor cleans up puke, empties ashtrays and eats shit from all the “made men” (both writers and tenured comment section dick-heads) here at CagePotato but it really is a great gig. Can you imagine the sloppy seconds that Danga sends our way?
Needless to say, most of the day-to-day MMA related news topics are taken care of by the staff writers and that leaves aspiring dipshits like me and Hutchinson to try and come up with a fresh or entertaining story idea on our own. Well, this idea is not fresh but it could be entertaining (at least my portions will be, but I have hope for Hutch since he is the guy who brought the word “dicknailed” to the CP). When Jon Fitch was released from his UFC contract last week, I wanted to write a piece on which higher profile fighters I would cut next if I were part of the UFC brass. Because opinions are like buttholes, Hutch had a thought to debate several of the choices in a YAY or NAY style. Before anyone starts hollering about Clay Guida, Jake Shields or the entire cast from the first season of The Ultimate Fighter (that means you Koscheck) take note that we agreed on more than we disagreed and in the spirit of pointless arguments opted to leave the most obvious offenders out. Let’s get started.
Being a “contributor” for CagePotato.com is kind of like being a barback at a seedy nightclub in Tijuana. We stock the bar with booze, ice, and clean glassware while staying in the shadows hoping to God that we don’t get yelled at. We try to help out wherever we can so the star bartenders (Ben Goldstein, Jared Jones, Elias Cepeda and Seth Falvo) can toss bottles of shitty Tequila like juggling pins while they pour fruit-flavored cocktails to semi hot chicks that they will inevitably hump later on. A contributor cleans up puke, empties ashtrays and eats shit from all the “made men” (both writers and tenured comment section dick-heads) here at CagePotato but it really is a great gig. Can you imagine the sloppy seconds that Danga sends our way?
Needless to say, most of the day-to-day MMA related news topics are taken care of by the staff writers and that leaves aspiring dipshits like me and Hutchinson to try and come up with a fresh or entertaining story idea on our own. Well, this idea is not fresh but it could be entertaining (at least my portions will be, but I have hope for Hutch since he is the guy who brought the word “dicknailed” to the CP). When Jon Fitch was released from his UFC contract last week, I wanted to write a piece on which higher profile fighters I would cut next if I were part of the UFC brass. Because opinions are like buttholes, Hutch had a thought to debate several of the choices in a YAY or NAY style. Before anyone starts hollering about Clay Guida, Jake Shields or the entire cast from the first season of The Ultimate Fighter (that means you Koscheck) take note that we agreed on more than we disagreed and in the spirit of pointless arguments opted to leave the most obvious offenders out. Let’s get started.
SMITH: CUT ‘EM
I was indifferent at first when it came to Frank Mir, but thanks to him beating the shit out of that weirdo Wes Sims in their rematch and then welcoming the former/current sports entertainer, Brock Lesnar, to the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu back at UFC 81, I took a liking to Mr. Mir. Sadly, those warm and fuzzy feelings have dissipated since he magically bulked up (really really really really fast by the way – just sayin’) and decided to conjure his inner Magnus Ver Magnusson while he dedicated himself to strength training with former World’s Strongest Man competitor Mark Philippi. For the record, the Fingal Fingers kick serious ass but I digress.
Mir has always shown that he does not mix the concrete milkshakes into his diet because all of his losses have come via KO or TKO and most of them have been pretty brutal. Then again, getting punched in the face by 250+ pound dudes is not exactly like getting beaten with a pillow. If Daniel Cormier is able to manhandle him, Mir’s walking papers get stamped and FREAKSHOW fights against a guy named Warpath await.
HUTCHINSON: KEEP ‘EM Frank may be a little bit of a douche and is most certainly an asshole but there is no denying the man’s talents. For starters, Mir holds the record for most fights in the UFC heavyweight division AND most submissions in the heavyweight division AND most finishes in the heavyweight division AND he’s fought 5 different UFC champions AND beat four of them AND really I could go on and on like this but that would be a run-on sentence AND on CagePotato we like to keep it grammatically correct. Take into account the two-year layoff from the sport of MMA after a devastating motorcycle accident — all the while he was in his prime mind you — and that makes his later accomplishments all the more impressive.
Argue price all you want but as a former champion, interim champion and being the only one to ever submit (as well as one of two to KO) Big Nog, I say he’s underpaid. Ok, maybe not underpaid but I’d say he’s earned it. In 22 fights he’s only been to a decision 3 times and all 6 of his losses have come by way of KO. So when Mir steps in the ring you can bet one of two things will happen: We’ll see some slick jiu-jitsu or Mir gets that smug smirk knocked off his face. Either way, the fans win. Think of the fans, Nathan!
HUTCHINSON: CUT ‘EM Real talk, guys. If Bisping wasn’t British would he be anything more than an average mid-level fighter? Allow me to spell it out here. Another former Ultimate Fighter winner who got there by beating the likes of Kristian Rothaermel, Ross Pointon, and finally Josh Haynes, one of whom you might actually know. He was then gifted fights against journeymen like Eric Schafer and Elvis Sinosic, both of whom are no longer Zuffa employees. A bullshit win over Matt Hamill and a loss to Rashad Evans forced the Brit down to middleweight where, not long after, Chris Leben introduced “The Count” to his inevitable moniker of “pillow fists,” and went so far as to encourage Bisping to take advantage of some free unanswered shots to his face.
At this point in his career, the UFC decided he would make a perfect coach for his own season of The Ultimate Fighter. Why you ask? Because “FUCK YOU” that’s why. The season set up a fight against Dan Henderson which also marked his first real test against an established top tier fighter, and I’m going to stop the walk down memory lane right there. His career since has followed the exact same path to the same outcome. He gets matched up with a couple of low- to mid-level fighter – WINS – and then gets destroyed by anyone close to the top ten.
This would all be well and good if we didn’t have to listen to the guy talk about being a top fighter who deserves a title shot every time someone sticks a microphone in his face. In fact, I doubt the microphone even matters. Can you imagine what it would be like getting a pint at the pub with this guy? One minute you’re sipping a beer and maybe playing darts and the next you’ve got Bisping standing on the pool table screaming that he will kill the next wanker that mentions Anderson Silva because “I’m one of the best middleweights in the world. Dana said so…Dana said” . . . . . then he collapses into a tear soaked pile on the floor.
This is a guy who:
A. If not for his country of origin, would never have had his name anywhere near talks of a title shot.
B. Based off his performances against top guys is way fucking overpaid at $275,000. That kind of cash could get us almost three Robbie Lawlers and that in my opinion is a far stronger investment all around.
SMITH: KEEP ‘EM
I know. I know. More often than not, The Count acts a lot more like The Count because of his “I could not give less of a shit” attitude during interviews, blog posts or press conferences but the fact remains — he is always in shape for a fight. Granted, the Wolf’s Lair is probably not the best gym he could be at, and a move to a more technical training facility in the US or Canada would probably benefit his career, but he is always game for a scrap. Was he spoon-fed outclassed opponents in order to pad his record early in his UFC career? Maybe. Probably. OK, YES! But he beat all of those opponents and if you doubt it just ask Matt Hamill who I assume is a top-selling telemarketer since his retirement. I am going to hell for that one.
Has Bisping lost to every big name fighter he has faced? Yes, but he is still a big draw in Europe. All the UFC has to do is have Bisping headline or co-main the FX or FUEL cards twice a year in the UK [Ed. note:You mean “UFC on FS1 UK” cards] and that will justify his paltry salary from the gate money alone. Besides, the UFC doesn’t have very many heels, and since Josh Koscheck is probably going to be on a lot of fishing trip vacations at with his BFF Jon Fitch in the near future, I say keep The Count around for shits and giggles even though he is heading into the twilight of his career at the ripe age of 34. God dammit that makes me feel really old. Thank goodness there is not an age bias for being a porno cameraman or I might find myself in the unemployment line really soon as well.
SMITH: CUT ‘EM
“If you aren’t cheating — you aren’t trying and it’s only cheating if you get caught.” I don’t know who said that but they are smarter than these chicks and once you are a cheater you are always a cheater in the eyes of the fans. Overeem went on a 1-4 losing skid back in 2006-7 which saw him lose to names like Arona, Nogueira, Rua and Kharitonov but he did pick up his only victory over a guy named Michael Knaap in a fight that took place in his native Netherlands. After that, the natural 205’er blew up like Magnus Ver Magnusson (that’s right – 2 WSM drops in 1 post – bring back the Hussafell Stone god dammit) and was straight killing fools in Japan. The dude physically looked like he was about to star in a porno where he was going to overpower and then totally plow a Predator, but we knew the dirty truth and were just hoping for the best even though it was just a matter of time before he pissed hot. Awe . . . . . . screw it . . . . . . he kicked Lesnar’s guts back into fake fighting so he isn’t all that bad. But now that his body has pulled physiology on him – he needs to get on the tread mill and hope to Christ that DW really likes him because after JDS turns his head into a speed bag and he gets his walking papers, The Demolition Man will have a tough time pan-handling because nobody is giving a 6’ 6” yoked dude that looks like a super villain any coin at a Netherland’s off ramp.
HUTCHINSON: KEEP ‘EM
No comment. (Ed. note: That is compelling stuff, Hutch.)
On the next page: two more TUF winners whose best days are in the rear-view.
Sometimes on this crazy blue marble of ours, you have to go bold. Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry knows the truth of that assertion. He lives it. Gilberry, who recorded 15 total tackles and 6.5 sacks in 14 games last season …
Sometimes on this crazy blue marble of ours, you have to go bold.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry knows the truth of that assertion. He lives it. Gilberry, who recorded 15 total tackles and 6.5 sacks in 14 games last season in Cincy, may not be a household name in many casual NFL fan circles. However, other circles may know him better. In fact, there may be entire circles out there that Gilberry is indirectly putting on a path to early retirement.
One prime candidate: the luxury automobile dealers of the greater Ohio Valley. One can almost hear them ah-oo-gahing in the boulevard after seeing Gilberry announce on YouTube over the weekend that he is betting his Rolls-Royce Phantom that UFC middleweight Michael “The Count” Bisping won’t knock out Alan Belcher in the first round when they fight April 27 at UFC 159.
“Word on the street is this Bisping guy’s been running his mouth,” Gilberry observed in the video, speaking from the back seat of the presumed Phantom in question with Belcher seated alongside him. “This is my guy right here. And I don’t appreciate it…I got a $300,000 car. We got the slips. I’m sure [Bisping’s] got something to that value, so you put your slips up, or whatever, and I’ll put the Phantom up. If you knock him out in the first round, it’s yours.”
So far, no direct public response from Bisping on the offer. However, on Sunday Bisping’s Twitter account had reposted a fan response to the bet, with the fan opining that “this is why 90% of NFL players are bankrupt within 3 years of retiring from playing.” Bisping responded to the fan Monday with a tweet of his own:
Michael Bisping has been fighting at well less than 100 percent for some time now and he’s been just too stubborn for his own good to get the problem fixed. In a recent interview with ESPN in England, Bisping revealed that he’s suffering from a nerve p…
Michael Bisping has been fighting at well less than 100 percent for some time now and he’s been just too stubborn for his own good to get the problem fixed.
In a recent interview with ESPN in England, Bisping revealed that he’s suffering from a nerve problem in his neck that’s causing his right arm to atrophy. That means he’s losing muscle mass and strength because the nerves aren’t allowing proper signal to get to his body.
Bisping admitted at the time that he was looking to have surgery to correct the issue, and immediately the world wanted to know if that meant he would be missing out on his April 27 bout against Alan Belcher at UFC 159.
Bleacher Report spoke with Bisping‘s managers at Paradigm MMA Management on Wednesday and they verified that the British fighter’s surgery is nothing more than a minor outpatient procedure that will allow him to get back into the gym as early as the following day.
Bisping verified the information as well via text message to Bleacher Report and updated the situation via his Twitter account on Wednesday.
“Just to clarify I am not having surgery, my fight with Belcher is not in peril,” wrote Bisping. “I’m having a minor procedure maybe to fix an old problem.”
Bisping later stated that he’s hoping the procedure just involves some injections in his neck to help relieve the pinched nerve that’s causing all of the problems.
UFC welterweight David Mitchell experienced a similar issue in his neck that kept him feeling well less than 100 percent for the last few years of his career. He eventually had corrective surgery to repair the damage and is now working his way back to full strength.
Bisping‘s issue doesn’t seem to be as severe, and the minor procedure he’s undergoing will only help relieve the blockage being caused by the pinched nerve to allow his right arm to regain full feeling and muscle strength.
Bisping expects to have the procedure soon as he gets into full training mode again for his UFC 159 showdown with Alan Belcher on April 27 in New Jersey.
Damon Martin is featured columnist at Bleacher Report.
Ever since news surfaced that 
