Fight Club: Bisping defies the odds to be crowned king

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Champion: Michael Bisping.

    Michael Bisping has spent the best part of a decade chasing UFC gold. At UFC 199 with his first shot at the belt, he went from ‘The Count’ to the King.

    The Brit became the first fighter hailing from UK soil to claim a UFC strap after he shook the world with a first-round knockout of middleweight champ Luke Rockhold at The Forum in California on Sunday.

    It was the third-biggest upset in UFC history, beaten only by Holly Holm’s KO of Ronda Rousey and TJ Dillashaw’s victory over Renan Barao.

    On paper, he shouldn’t have stood a chance. Rockhold is a formidable presence, a man widely tipped to reign atop the 185lbs division for a long, long time and a fighter who had already decisively beaten him 16 months ago.

    The 37-year-old was drafted in on 17 days notice after Chris Weidman’s injury pull out and was still the second choice behind Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza who turned the chance down with an injury of his own.

    But now the paper reads middleweight champion and he’s written his name into the history books and arguably a future Hall of Fame slot, too.

    After all, who would have thought following a win over one of the greatest of all time, Anderson Silva, he would then become the champ in his next fight? The consensus beforehand was that Bisping would be fortunate to make it out of the opening stanza.

    Yet all the forecasts were erroneous. He stormed back after Rockhold had established early control as the 31-year-old peppered his target with trademark left kicks to the body.

    But the American, defending the belt for the first time since beating Weidman at UFC 194, became conservative, and then critically sloppy. He over extended on a straight right, leaving his chin up and exposed.

    Bisping caught him flush with a left hook, pouncing on his wobbled foe and forcing the stoppage with first another left and then expert ground and pound after three minutes and 36 seconds.

    Ten years, three failed title campaigns and 17 days notice but none of that matters because only one man reigns supreme in the middleweight division and it is a title well deserved.

    “This has been a lifetime’s work, and I always felt I was capable of doing this,” Bisping said. “I’ve had my ups and downs along the way, and I understand why people didn’t believe in me because I’ve lost some key fights and I’ve accepted that.

    “But I knew deep down inside myself that I could always do it. That’s why I took this fight on short notice because as I said leading into it, that defines me. I am a fighter. I shocked the world.”

    Rockhold was simply floored, both literally and metaphorically, but the incumbent is ready to complete the trilogy.

    “Bisping’s a tough dude,” he said. “I’ve always said it. He’s a warrior, and he’ll hang in there. Obviously I didn’t respect him enough… I got caught, and I guess destiny is real, but it’s not going to last very long, because I will have my belt back.

    “You got lucky. You got lucky. Bisping, I will come back and kill you. You enjoy your short-lived destiny, my friend. Mark my words.”

    As one feud blazed, even after the press conference Rockhold and Bisping continued to clash, another was extinguished.

    In the co-main event bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz decisioned Urijah Faber in dominating circumstances to take their trilogy fight.

    Cruz was at his elusive best and danced his way to a unanimous decision after twice dropping the flat-footed Faber.

    The victory all but ended a rivalry which has stewed for the best part of a decade and defeat meant Faber, who said afterwards he will contemplate retirement, became the first fighter to go 0-4 in title fights.

    “This has been a terrific journey for me, 13 years,” he said. “I can’t say I’m going to end this journey yet, but I’m going to enjoy my time off and figure out what to do then.”

    Recommended