The following is from UFC.com, written by Elliot Warsell:
You may one day be lucky enough to beat Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping, but you’ll never beat him down. That’s an assurance – a guarantee even – sent straight from the mouth of a middleweight contender on the hunt for UFC 185-pound champion Anderson Silva.
“I’ve done a lot of boxing, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and fighting in general – one or two I shouldn’t have been having – and I’ve never, ever had my arse kicked,” boasted Bisping, pride rushing through the veins of this fighting man from Widnes, England. “I’ve lost, sure, but never had my arse properly kicked. I don’t think Anderson Silva would kick my arse, either. Nobody’s going to make a fool out of me.”
If there’s anyone in MMA – or combat sports, period – who boasts a Masters degree in handing down beatdowns to opponents, it’s Brazilian striking-sensation and all-round wrecking machine Silva. For Bisping, a man who cut short the title chase at light-heavyweight for new pastures down south, Silva isn’t the most welcoming door mat at the gates of new opportunity.
“Silva’s a very, very dominant champion,” conceded Bisping. “He takes care of business and takes guys out. He’s the guy I’m going to have to beat if I want that belt. I’m learning all the time now and I’m only going to get better. When the time’s right, I’ll be ready to face Silva.”
‘The Spider’ can wait. Silva will be ready with his cap and gown – and a few hurtful strikes to boot – when Bisping finally arrives at the graduation ceremony. Immediate business sees Bisping engage with Canadian dangerman Jason Day at UFC 85 this Saturday (June 7) from South London’s O2 Arena. It will mark Bisping’s first outing in his homeland since last September’s close decision win over Matt Hamill.
“My last two fights have been overseas – in the US and Canada – so I’m really looking forward to being back home,” beamed Bisping. “I’m happy to be on this card because the UK fans, and the UFC fans in general – all around the world – are brilliant. I’m English, I’m proud to represent my country, and it’s always great to perform in front of your home fans.”
Just as Hamill threatened to gatecrash the homecoming party last September, Canadian Day will look to follow through with the threat. Boasting a well-rounded skill set, including good submission skills and quality striking, Day is a lean, angular middleweight with danger in his fists, elbows, knees and feet. An impressive UFC debut win over Alan Belcher in April signalled Day’s intentions in the middleweight division. It also put student-of-the-game Bisping on red alert.
“I’ve watched that fight many times,” said Bisping. “It was a good performance from Day but, saying that, I didn’t see anything that worried me too much. He beat a contender in the middleweight division and beat him soundly. That said, Day was taken down relatively easily in that fight and didn’t get up by choice – Belcher let him get to his feet. When Day got back to his feet he fired off a big combination and got Belcher out of there. Fair enough, good finish, but Belcher didn’t really fire back. It was a bit of a one horse race. Belcher offered no offence at all.”
Where Belcher failed, Bisping will no doubt seek to capitalise.
“I have to be the aggressor, push the pace and be first with my shots,” explained Bisping, visualising how the styles will mesh on Saturday night. “I need to beat him in all areas. I think I’m a better striker than him. He’s known for his jiu-jitsu but I feel mine is better than his. I think I’ve got better wrestling, too. I’ll be stronger, fitter and better conditioned than him. I think I’ll go in there Saturday night and take him out.”
Having undertaken the lion’s share of preparation at Widnes’ Wolf’s Lair MMA Academy, Bisping is in prime physical condition and at a place mentally where most natural fighters hope to be before a crucial fight. The withdrawal of original opponent Chris Leben did nothing to dent or deflect this intense fighting spirit that stirs inside Bisping.
“It was disappointing when Leben dropped out because he’s quite a big name in MMA and lots of people were talking about a fight between me and him,” said Bisping, 29. “It would’ve been a great fight and I was looking forward to it.
“Day’s a tough fighter but he isn’t quite as well known as Leben. He’s still a very solid opponent, though, and I have to take him very seriously. If I beat him I may not get the credit from the casual MMA fans, but if I get beaten I’ll get criticised for losing to someone who’s a bit of an unknown. That doesn’t really matter to me. I’m a natural fighter. I fight for a living and that’s what I was born to do. I’ll fight anyone. You could change the opponent 100 times and I’d still be there on the night giving my all. I don’t care how late notice the job is.”
The revelation that Bisping’s fighting heart is as big as his appetite is nothing new, of course. Whether on his feet or on the ground, Bisping throws punches like they’re his last and obeys the roars of the crowd like a punching puppet on a string. Formerly a highly-ranked light-heavyweight, Bisping is now a fit, healthy and improved middleweight. 20 pounds down, the Englishman’s heart remains just as big.
“Making middleweight isn’t a problem at all, to be honest,” admitted Mike. “I’ve been really shocked how easy it is to do the weight. I should’ve done it a long time ago. I enjoyed the challenge of fighting the bigger guys at light-heavy, but at this level you’ve got to give yourself all the advantages you can.
“It’s mainly my diet that has changed. I made light-heavy so easily I could afford myself lots of treats and snacks. I ate healthy on the whole, but I used to chuck in lots of stuff like pizzas and burgers as well. I have a very sweet tooth. There’s none of that at middleweight, though. It’s driving me crazy, to be honest. Hey, I know it’s all worth it in the end.”
While Dominos Pizza and Burger King may have been reluctantly erased from Bisping’s speed dial, the newly formed middleweight is feeling the benefits. Sweet tooth, again reluctantly, exchanged for an even sweeter punch.
“I’m definitely punching harder,” Bisping enthused. “There’s no two ways about that. I’m seeing the effect now when I connect on people. I’m also much faster with my hands and feet. I feel stronger now, too, which is all down to the fact I introduced a weights programme into my training because I didn’t want to lose strength moving down. That’s actually made me even stronger. All in all, I’m a much fitter and better-conditioned athlete as a middleweight.”
If you don’t believe Bisping’s preaching, ask the converted – namely, last opponent Charles McCarthy. Looking leaner, faster and punching better in combination than he’d ever done before, Bisping halted the Florida submission expert at the end of the first round. Rejuvenated following his first career loss – and last fight at 205-pounds – against Rashad Evans, Bisping tossed his contender hat into the ring of middleweights.
“I want what all fighters want – the ultimate dream of becoming world champion,” explained Bisping, The Ultimate Fighter season three winner. “I think I have a realistic chance of achieving that at middleweight. I’m improving all the time as a fighter and have the ability to go through most of the other middleweight contenders.
“The top boys are always going to cause problems – Silva, Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson – but the rest could be there for the taking. By the time I get to the big guns I’ll have hopefully improved enough to beat them. I know there are areas I need to work on and I’m working on them right now.”
On Saturday night, Jason Day will attempt to become the second person to defeat Michael Bisping and, perhaps just as importantly, the first to kick his arse. Bisping will assure you – that just ain’t gonna happen.