Michael Bisping finally achieved greatness on Saturday when he defeated Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 to win the UFC middleweight championship. “The Count” went on to capture the UFC middleweight crown as a short notice replacement for Chris Weidman, dethroning Rockhold in a signature performance.
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The lack of sportsmanship incensed Bisping who exploded into a fiery tirade against the American before UFC VP of public relations Dave Sholler stepped in to make sure that no punches were thrown.
“I can’t really say that right now”, Faber said when pressed about calling it a career.
“I think Dominick is so good at winning rounds and knowing what he needs to do to win the fight”, Florian said. “I got caught and I guess destiny is real, but it’s not gonna last very long”. “I had to keep the faith in my instincts, especially against a guy like Faber”. This is my dream. I guarantee, you give me this re-match, I will put this man away, just like I did the first time. “I feel like we’re at the pre-fight press conference again”, he joked as the two middleweight eyed each other angrily across the podium. Two hours’ notice. Two minutes’ notice. He brought his family into the Octagon after the win and thanked them and his home country for its support.
Bisping burst on to the UFC scene roughly ten years ago when he was the standout fighter on the reality series “The Ultimate Fighter” back in that show’s third season. It was his first since his UFC debut in May 2013, when he suffered a first-round knockout to Vitor Belfort.
He has lost just one nontitle fight in his career and was the WEC champion when that organization boasted the best bantamweight class in the world, but hasn’t been able to win the UFC belt.
Read the transcript of the post fight press conference confrontation, or watch the video from the 11:40 min mark, below. “I’d love nothing more than to get my belt back”. “I took [this] for granted a bit”.
“He had a ideal fight, so I can’t say anything”, Faber, 37, said, hinting at retirement afterward. He’s a warrior. I have to credit him. Obviously I didn’t respect him enough.
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Bisping, an Englishman fighting out of Orange County, had never fought for a title in a decade with the UFC. He landed a handful of leg kicks and elevated one toward the head, which Bisping blocked and smiled at.
