Bisping defied the odds and thumbed his nose at longtime
skeptics by reaching the summit of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship mountain.
A short-notice replacement for the injured Chris
Weidman, “The Count” authored one of the sport’s most memorable
modern-era upsets when he knocked out Luke
Rockhold to claim the undisputed middleweight crown in the
first round of their
UFC 199 headliner on June 4, 2016 at The Forum in Inglewood,
California. Bisping shut the door in emphatic fashion 3:36 into
Round 1. The shock value was off the charts.
“I always knew I was at this level,” Bisping said afterward. “I’ve
had my ups and downs, and I’ve lost some fights along the way. I
still always dusted myself off and built myself back up. I know
I’ve had a lot of detractors and a lot of people [who] didn’t
believe I was at that caliber. I want to thank those guys, as well.
They fueled me on and lit that fire inside me. I always knew I
could do this. I always knew I had punching power. I always knew I
had the ability. Tonight, of course, I got to show everybody.”
Rockhold chipped away with kicks before the fight turned in an
instant. Bisping connected with a chopping counter left hand that
felled the
American Kickboxing Academy ace. The badly dazed Rockhold tried
to return to his feet but was immediately met with a clean left
hook that dropped him against the cage. Bisping showed no mercy and
cleaned up what was left with follow-up punches.
Nearly a decade later, Bisping’s stunning upset of Rockhold still
ranks as one of the most profound inflection points of his career.
Four more to consider:
Michael
Bisping vs. Josh
Haynes
“The Ultimate Fighter 3” Finale
June 24, 2006 | Las Vegas
Bisping secured his spot on the Ultimate Fighting Championship
roster when he took out the scrappy but overmatched Oregon native
with punches in the second round of their light heavyweight final
at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Haynes succumbed to blows 4:14
into Round 2. Wild punching exchanges between the two often gave
way to clinches, where Bisping established his superiority with
positional control and a steady stream of knees to the body. He
also executed multiple takedowns, consolidating those efforts with
ground-and-pound and bids for rear-naked chokes. While Haynes’
effective get-up game dragged “The Count” deeper into the bout, it
put a strain on his fuel supply. The situation only deteriorated
for the American, who had to battle fatigue and a bloody nose.
Bisping pressed the issue in the middle stanza, where he unleashed
clean multi-punch flurries, played the bully in the clinch and
methodically wore down his blue-haired adversary. He eventually
pinned Hayes to the fence with knees and punches, forcing his
retreat to the canvas. There, a few more hammerfists sealed the
deal.
Michael
Bisping vs. Rashad
Evans
UFC 78
Nov. 17, 2007 | Newark, New Jersey
Bisping experienced the bitterness of defeat for the first time as
a pro when he wound up on the wrong side of a split decision
against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 2 winner in their three-round
main event at the Prudential Center. All three cageside judges
turned in 29-28 scorecards: Eric Colon
and Douglas Crosby for Evans, Romulo Bittencourt for Bisping. Evans
completed six takedowns and racked up more than seven minutes of
control time, which helped to offset the Englishman’s advantages in
striking output. He set the tone in the first round, where he
grounded Bisping three times and attacked him with a time-consuming
top game and occasional ground-and-pound. Nevertheless, “The Count”
had his moments. He answered with takedowns of his own in the
second and third rounds, leaned into his unshakable cardio and
outlanded Evans on the feet, only to fall short in the eyes of two
of the three beholders.
Michael
Bisping vs. Dan
Henderson
UFC 100
July 11, 2009 | Las Vegas
Henderson obliterated “The Ultimate Fighter 3” winner with a
devastating overhand right in the second round of their
middleweight showcase at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The former
two-division
Pride Fighting Championships titleholder separated Bisping from
his senses 3:20 into Round 2 and by doing so became the first man
to finish “The Count.” A somewhat uneventful first round gave rise
to the climactic second. Operating in the shadows of the Brock
Lesnar–Frank Mir main
event and the Georges St.
Pierre–Thiago Alves
co-headliner, Bisping circled away from his rival and wandered
directly into the path of the American’s fabled right hand.
Henderson stepped into the punch, which rendered the Brit
unconscious upon impact. The
Team Quest patriarch then left his feet and dropped a diving
right hand on the defenseless Bisping before referee Mario Yamasaki
could arrive on the scene.
Michael
Bisping vs. Anderson
Silva
UFC Fight Night 84
Feb. 27, 2016 | London
Bisping pushed his gas tank to the limit, relied on consistent
output and called upon his considerable resolve in capturing a
unanimous decision from “The Spider” in their five-round main event
at the O2 Arena. All three judges scored it 48-47. Silva spent too
much time hunting for the perfect shot, and his opponent
capitalized on his lack of aggression. Bisping outpaced the
Brazilian in total and significant strikes landed in each of the
first four rounds. Some of his work was negated at the conclusion
of the middle stanza, where Silva connected with a wicked flying
knee that nearly brought the fight to a close. However, Bisping
recovered between rounds and refused to cede any more ground to the
former middleweight champion. By the time their 25 minutes were up,
he had landed 33 more significant strikes and 37 more total strikes
than Silva. Each man was credited with a knockdown.