Michael Bisping: Cementing His Legacy

On the night of UFC 199, Michael Bisping served up a gigantic plate of crow to all those who doubted him. I was among those who believed Bisping did not have it in him to beat Luke Rockhold and come in on extremely short notice to have and essentially have the performance of his life. A little while ago, I wrote a column of why Bisping deserved a title shot and examining his career in the UFC. It was a career that spanned 10 years. However, while Bisping had a long and impressive career, his record was always lacking that one signature win. And not necessarily a title win, but a signature win over a top 5 contender or a win in some type of title eliminator. Well at UFC 199, Bisping achieved that victory by knocking out Rockhold in the first round to win his first UFC title. The win finally puts a stamp on Bisping’s career, and it puts him in the history books as the first Brit to win UFC gold.

In light of Chris Weidman pulling out of the fight, Bisping had certainly earned his shot. He was coming off a win over Anderson Silva. But I think the doubt I still had for Bisping after that fight was due to the shenanigans with the mouthpiece. Not to mention, Bisping nearly getting knocked out by Silva with a big knee. He managed to come back and won a decision. Obviously, I have no problem with Bisping winning that fight, but if you look back on his career, and even his latest winning streak, you will see a lot of decisions. Bisping had earned a reputation for being a decision artist and was often dubbed “Pillowfists.” Honestly, that’s part of why I didn’t see him beating Rockhold. Rockhold is so well-rounded and so dangerous, I didn’t see anywhere that Bisping would be able to stop such a strong, big, highly skilled and technical fighter like Rockhold. Plus, Rockhold already beat Bisping. But Bisping really picked a good night to let his hands go and deliver a stunning knockout victory.

Maybe Rockhold was too relaxed. Maybe Rockhold took Bisping too lightly and underestimated him. Perhaps Rockhold’s reported injury of a sprained MCL in his knee was bothering him. Rockhold’s game plan to have his hands down definitely wasn’t smart, and Bisping did a great job of exploiting that opening. But this is part of what’s so great about MMA. No matter how much you analyze and think you have the outcome of a fight locked down, there are intangible elements you can never predict. It’s hard to exactly predict how someone will come out and if they will perform some ill-advised moves or techniques. It’s also hard to predict how someone might be mentally off on fight night as well. Brian Stann may not have invented the phrase, but he’s pointed out before, it’s not about who’s the better fighter. It’s about who’s the better fighter on that fight. Bisping in many ways embodies that phrase.

At this point, Bisping could retire tomorrow, and he could still be considered a legend. Bisping practically built MMA in the UK, and he became the face of that country for the UFC. He’s consistently been a top draw for the UFC, not necessarily in terms of PPV buys, but definitely for TV ratings and international crowds. It’s not often you will see a fighter have a career this long in the UFC or MMA and then win the title later on. Bisping’s career seemed to be it was at a point where it may start winding down. He got a detached retina, and he’d already been through a number of injuries. At 37 years of age, Bisping is at an age where a lot of fighters start winding down in their careers if they haven’t already, so it’s pretty remarkable Bisping was able to make this run happen and ascend to the title level. But his long history with the UFC, having fought a who’s who of the middleweight and light heavyweight division, his prestige as Britain’s top fighter, and now becoming the first British UFC champion have cemented his MMA legacy. For the fact that he’s the UK’s first UFC champion likely earns him a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame in the future at some point.

It should be interesting to see who Bisping will face next. His next opponent really should be Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Jacare was not able to take the title fight against Rockhold due to a torn meniscus. He had just fought and defeated Vitor Belfort, so it wasn’t as feasible for him to take that fight. Jacare has really been denied a title fight for quite some time. That time for him to get a title shot is now. Do I think Jacare destroys Bisping if they fight? Yes, but of course, as evidenced by the Rockhold fight, I’ve been wrong before. But even if Bisping loses in his first title defense, his legacy is already cemented.

Just a few days shy of the day Bisping made his official UFC debut in 2006, congrats to UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping.