Michael Bisping: The Fighter Who Never Gave Up

Michael Bisping: The Fighter Who Never Gave Up

By James Lee

“Rockhold has this air of invincibility mentally right now as well…  more confident.” Michael Bisping retreats towards the cage. Bay Area’s own presses with a jab.

“Ohhh he got rocked….  He hurt him bad, and again. Michael Bisping is the new UFC middleweight champion of the world!!!” Left hook Larry prevailed. Swooping over the right shoulder of the champion. Blitzing the button. Turning the dreams of a fighting nation into reality.

“Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. That’s why this is a crazy sport ladies and gentleman, because anything can happen, at any given moment…. And you’re just sitting at home watching this and you go holy shit!”

The voice of Joe Rogan echoed across the fighting world as the 6/1 underdog marvelled gloriously, bathing in the pride of the people surrounding him and those back home after causing a crash in the system of his opponent.

Back home, thousands across the United Kingdom buzzed, whilst weary eyed, as the country’s greatest achievement in the sport drew itself upon them.

“They’re celebrating in England right now baby, that Brit is the best at 185.” The climb had been conquered.

​Michael “The Count” Bisping was born in the Cypriot city of Nicosia in February 1979. His father Jan, of Polish descent, worked on a British military base when Michael was born, helping the British army maintain their illustrious naval and military outposts in Cyprus.

Historically, Cyprus has served the British army well since the Treaty of Establishment was signed in 1960. With thousands of tommies still in the Mediterranean settlement, the fighting spirit of his father and his peers lives on through the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion, despite his actual upbringing taking place in Lancashire.

His town of Clitheroe is located around thirty miles from Manchester which played home to some of his biggest fights, with his first title defence against Dan Henderson standing out especially.

In 1994 and at the growing age of eight, Michael had his first taste of mixed martial arts when he ventured into japanese jiu jitsu, a discipline which has helped him greatly in defending submission attempts against some of the world’s best later on in his career.

Consequently, due to his early start in the sport, Bisping eagerly continued his mixed martial arts journey into the striking element with kickboxing. He excelled early and travelled the country with his father, competing and growing; leading to the title of professional British light heavyweight kickboxing champion being awarded to him whilst at Black Knights kickboxing gym in his late teenage years. He later claimed the same title upon his kickboxing return; attributing to his high skill set.

As his teenage years ended, he was forced towards a more traditional route of earning and stopped competing in kickboxing. Ironically, his real financial gains came through martial arts as he went on to earn millions doing the thing he loves later on in life.

The game lured him back evidently. The urge was too much, especially with the growth of mixed martial arts as a sport throughout the early 2000’s. The avenue for fighting and finance combined had finally been achieved and he wanted in on it.

Bisping’s professional MMA debut came shortly after he began training full time as he took a fight in Newcastle at Pride and Glory 2. His opponent, Steve Matthews, wasn’t quite ready for the storm of the 0-0 professional fighter. He would later find out nobody was on the UK scene. He was just the unlucky one who encountered him first.

“The Count” quickly showed the class difference between the two men, performing like a fighter who had many more professional fights than he had. Bisping picked up a technical knockout victory just 38 seconds into the bout; a nice way to start off a professional career.

Bisping continued on with little hesitation, fighting just one month after his debut. This time in Essex, at the Circus Tavern, in a fight card headlined by Francis Carmont’s fourth professional mixed martial arts bout. In the crowded venue, the bout lasted twelve seconds longer than his first, with Bisping finishing the fight with strikes. His opponent John Weir retiring professionally straight after.

July 10th 2004 saw the first of four professional titles. Cage Rage were building up a name in the UK and with links to Sky Sports, Bisping popularised his name when he defeated Mark Epstein for their light heavyweight title. After another short knockout victory versus Andy Bridges, Bisping met Epstein once again at Cage Rage 9 in Wembley, but again, the power of Bisping prevailed.

On a spring month in 2005, Bisping began to plant the seeds towards a sustained career. He had signed with Cage Warriors, the number one mixed martial arts organisation in Europe, and found himself at the forefront of English prospects.

Cage Warriors are known for delivering the best talent in Europe, sending many fighters across to the UFC including Conor McGregor and Joanna Jedrzejczyk afterwards and his CW run is what ultimately took him to the sport’s biggest organisation.

After two defences of his Cage Warriors light heavyweight championship along with the acquaintance of the FX3 light heavyweight title, Bisping met Ross Pointon, who he would meet again shortly down the line. Bisping beat Pointon convincingly; a fight which would be his last under the Cage Warriors banner.

Now 10-0 and looking for the next challenge, something crossed his path which changed his life forever.

“I don’t know if it’s gunna be me and Ross vs the Americans, I certainly hope not.” The first introduction to the Land of the Free came to Bisping in 2006. After two successful seasons of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), the UFC decided to add two Englishmen to the third series.

Early on, it became clear Bisping was a class ahead of most competitors. After finishing Kristian Rothaermel in the first round, the man from 5000 miles away found himself against a familiar man. After a drop out in the semi finals, Pointon moved up 20lbs to take on Bisping for the second time. Stoke’s own was taken out very forcefully and Bisping moved to the finale; a huge feat and also a night where the promises he kept came true.

The Ultimate Fighter Finale was make or break for Bisping. He knew a win would guarantee a UFC contract, with bigger paychecks and an opportunity for bonuses. Deliver he did. He delivered a brutal beatdown to Josh Haynes and as Bruce Buffer announced his name as the victor, his whole life changed in that Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Although recognition came early, financial gains didn’t come instantly. Upon returning home to England, the Bisping family fell on the same hard struggles they had faced before, with money coming short, even for petrol. Although the UFC provided a $10,000 cheque, the real change came after his fight at UFC 66 against Milwaukee’s Eric Schafer. After the fight, Bisping received a discretionary bonus of $50,000 that gave him security and comfort.

Following an important victory over Australian Elvis Sinosic in Manchester, Bisping got the chance to co-headline a fight card in England at UFC 75 against old rival Matt Hamill. Bisping was named victorious via split decision, to which he would even admit himself could have been the opposite result.

With the belt in sight, Bisping moved on to face veteran Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC 78. Controversy arose as Evans secured the split decision, much to Bisping’s anger who felt he won the bout. He didn’t dwell. With his family in mind, another fight was accepted for five months later in Canada.

The accepted fight saw him decide to change his lifestyle and fight at middleweight for the first time. After defeating Charles McCarthy, Bisping looked to face contenders in search of his first UFC gold. Jason Day was next at UFC 85 and after a quick dismantling of him, Bisping took on arguably his toughest test yet in Chris Leben. “The Crippler” had an immense will to continue battling in fights, therefore for Bisping to achieve the decision victory credits his own will, something more noticeable as his career ventured on.

After Leben, a new chapter came in the career of Michael Bisping. With the UFC looking outside of North America for new stars, the first Ultimate Fighter series took place where two countries would square off. With Bisping as a coach, UK vs USA was set for The Ultimate Fighter 10, with Dan Henderson the coach for the USA.

The series was an interesting encounter for “The Count.” Although he had some issues with the US team, the UK team were very successful in the end with three fighters making the finale.

His relationship with Dan Henderson was cordial, but there was clearly a feud from January 2009 when filming began, one which would last until the 8th of October 2016 and maybe will go on forever.

The biggest fight card of 2009 was the venue for the bout between Henderson and Bisping. With Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre on the bill, Bisping was on the grandest stage possible and the worst thing possible occurred.

“And it is all over! Dan Henderson has knocked out Michael Bisping!” The H-bomb had landed. Bisping’s worst nightmare had occurred. A devastating knockout crushed the Englishman. As the American paraded around the octagon, Bisping lay stiff but still, as officials attended to him.

Many thought he was done. The mockery might have broken other men, but his determination allowed the comeback. A comeback which would recognise Bisping as one of the toughest men in the sport’s history.

Battling on from his loss at UFC 100, Bisping returned just four months later to fight back in Manchester. The night was emotional. With everybody writing him off and concentrating on Dan Hardy’s rise, Bisping fought hard, earning the finish in the second round along with a fight of the night bonus of $40,000.

The emotion was clear when his son Callum entered the cage. This was the exact response he needed. Dominating a tough competitor in front of 16,000 of his own people.

As he wanted to boost his comeback run, he decided to face legend Wanderlei Silva. “The Axe Murderer” has a reputation for striking fear in his opponents. With desolating finishes dating back to 1996, Silva has deservingly built up his name in combat sports.

The fight didn’t go as Bisping had hoped. A 29-28 decision on all three judges scorecards was handed to the Brazilian.

Similarly to after UFC 100, many fans felt like Bisping wasn’t championship material after UFC 110. The belief was that he would become a journeyman. A fighter who would always stay around the top 15, but never have a crack at the world title.

After the Wanderlei Silva fight, Bisping took on two easier opponents in Dan Miller and Yoshihiro Akiyama. Both bouts ended in victory, before he crossed paths with who would become one of his biggest rivals.

Jorge Rivera burst onto the middleweight contender scene by winning three fights in a row. Upon taking on Bisping, “El Conquistador” riled up the Englishman before the bout. A dark side was unveiled due to his antics and one which followed him for years.

Thankfully for Bisping, he ended the rivalry by stopping Rivera in the second round. By the time of his win, the Ultimate Fighter reality show had found itself at Bisping’s feet for the third time.

“Mayhem” Miller was an enormous figure outside of the UFC before 2011. He was introduced into the UFC for a second time as coach on TUF 14 that saw the likes of TJ Dillashaw and John Dodson. By the end of the programme, the anticipation for the finale event had doubled.

In one of his better career performances, he finished Miller in the third round with vicious knees to the body to creep closer to his dream.

A middleweight title eliminator followed him next. The chance at gold lay in sight. A sniper shot away. One fight. Win and the chance of a lifetime was guaranteed.

As expected, Sonnen came out aggressive, pushing Bisping up against the fence and looking for the takedown with Bisping looking to defend and fire strikes of his own. Both men stood waiting for Bruce Buffer to declare the victor.

“Declaring the winner by unanimous decision… Chael Sonnen!” The Englishman had now lost his second title eliminator. This one less decisively and another American wrestler had halted the trek.

The next period of fighting was the lowest for Michael “The Count” Bisping. After being so close to the title, Bisping was now at the back of the queue. 2012 until 2014 would have been a successful period for a standard middleweight, but for a fighter who wanted to win the belt, four losses out of seven wasn’t ideal.

After the Sonnen loss, Bisping was successful in his next outing in Toronto. He confidently defeated Brian Stann and looked to reassert himself back into contention until he came up against “The Phenom” who put an abrupt stop to that.

The Englishman travelled to São Paulo to face Belfort and his supposed title run was over before it even began. The title drew further away as Belfort landed a head kick to finish..

After the Belfort loss, Bisping won two out of his next three fights. A comfortable victory over Alan Belcher in New Jersey was followed by a lacklustre performance against Tim Kennedy in a five round fight. Another wrestler lay on the Englishman for a lot of the fight, draining the fans and the clock. A difficult way to lose. No damage, just out-wrestled.

The loss was followed by a dominant victory in China. A destructive knee finished Cung Le, which earned him another performance bonus. Although Bisping was back to winning ways, Cung Le wasn’t an opponent that was going to push him towards the title.

With his career stalling, Bisping met the man who changed everything: Luke Rockhold.

The Strikeforce middleweight champion. The prospect. Arguably the best middleweight in the world. Hunting for Weidman, Rockhold met veteran Bisping in Sydney coming in as a huge favourite.

Entering the UFC at twenty-eight, Rockhold came on the scene with great potential, especially after defeating Tim Kennedy and Jacare Souza in Strikeforce.

Possessing raw talent, the whole middleweight division took notice once Rockhold entered the UFC in 2013.

The talk flowed freely on the planes of Sydney. But after the talk dried, the men had to fight.

Rockhold began confidently, gliding across the cage as he looked to set up his trademark left kick. Ninety seconds in, a head clash left Bisping with a bad cut above his left eye. Bisping was left with damaged sight and early into the second, Rockhold landed a left high kick and finished the bout on the ground with a guillotine.

Bisping returned after five months, coming back to face UFC veteran CB Dollaway and after the Dollaway victory, Bisping headlined a big card in Glasgow in which he defeated Thales Leites in the electrifying the SSE Hydro Arena.

The victory allowed Bisping through the gate for the third time. A gate that set up a fight against the man he had wanted to fight since he entered the UFC. The Spider.

Bisping saw Anderson Silva conquer the UK scene in the early noughties. He was taking out high profile fighters like Lee Murray and Jorge Rivera in British promotion Cage Rage before earning his spot in the UFC. Upon claiming the belt in his second UFC fight, Silva continued to demoralise his competition. Bisping looked on, unsure he would ever face him, but confident he would beat him if he did.

From October 14th 2006 until July 6th 2013, Silva kept the middleweight belt, defending it ten times, as well as winning four non-title fights without defeat. A sense of mystique surrounded Silva, with fans adamant he couldn’t be beaten.

This came to a halt when he met American wrestler Chris Weidman. Showboating to the crowd, Silva danced, pretending to be hurt by Weidman, ultimately looking to humiliate. But it was him who caught the wrong end of a looping left hook that changed his legacy forever. The rematch saw Anderson suffer a horrific leg injury mid fight.

Upon returning after UFC 183, Silva came to London’s O2 Arena to face Michael Bisping. Blur bellowed around the arena as the Englishman entered, ready for war and to cause a seismic shock to the community.

DMX led the Brazilian to the cage; a different tone to his opponent. Silva looked mellow and calm. Bisping looked fire up and ready. The crowd were not ready for what would follow that night.

 

Bisping outworked Silva in the first two rounds. He used his footwork and movement to evade the Brazilian, even managing to drop the former middleweight champion with a left hand.

The third round was similar to the second apart from the final moments. Bisping’s mouth guard fell on the canvas, distracting the Brit whilst Silva kept pressing. As Bisping turned to referee Herb Dean, Silva flew through the air cracking his chin with a flying knee and sent him crashing down.

Silva walked off believing he had won. He hadn’t. The bell had gone for the end of the third round and Bisping was still in the fight despite being badly hurt. With 60 seconds to recover, many fighters wouldn’t be able to. The resilience shone. The Count came back to win the fourth round, surprising the fans, holding on to a vital decision victory despite a tough fifth round.

As his name was declared the victor, Bisping gestured happily, before respecting Anderson Silva. He had finally defeated the man who had dominated his division for years. A dream into reality. A victory that put him close to the title. A title shot in unexpected circumstances however.

Filming “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” in Thailand, Bisping was having time off from training with a scheduled middleweight title fight booked for the summer at UFC 199 involving Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman. His plan was to film the movie in Thailand and vow for a title shot upon returning to training.

As May 19th 2016 rolled around, news broke that Chris Weidman had injured himself in training camp, thus forcing him out of the fight. With multiple fighters considered like Jacare Souza and Yoel Romero, destiny prevailed.

The fight was announced. Michael Bisping would be fighting for a world championship. His first attempt at the UFC gold had a date. June 4th. With only 17 days to prepare, the odds were highly stacked against him but he believed. Maybe just him.

“Rockhold has this air of invincibility mentally right now as well… never more confident.” Michael Bisping retreats towards the cage. Bay Area’s own presses with a jab. “Ohhh he got rocked….  He hurt him bad, and again. Michael Bisping is the new UFC middleweight champion of the world!!!”

Left hook Larry had prevailed. Swooping over the right shoulder of the champion. Blitzing the button. Turning the dreams of a fighting nation into reality.

“Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. That’s why this is a crazy sport ladies and gentleman, because anything can happen, at any given moment…. And you’re just sitting at home watching this and you go holy shit!” The voice of Joe Rogan echoed across the fighting world as the 6/1 underdog marvelled gloriously, bathing in the pride of the people surrounding him and those back home after causing a crash in the system of his opponent.

Back home, thousands across the United Kingdom buzzed, whilst weary eyed, as the country’s greatest achievement in the sport drew itself upon them. “They’re celebrating in England right now baby, that Brit is the best at 185.” The climb conquered…

With his family, manager and coaches in the octagon, Bisping stood overwhelmed, finding it difficult to speak, knowing his life work had amounted to less than four minutes in the cage. Thousands of hours of work, all worth it for that one moment.

22 years from his first training session. Bruce Buffer announced Michael Bisping as the new middleweight champion.

Work didn’t stop after the title victory. With multiple challenges and challengers ahead, Bisping seized an opportunity presented to him to avenge his most devastating outing.

Days after the title victory, reports flew in that the UFC were interested in booking the rematch with Dan Henderson. In a dramatic change of circumstances, Bisping had the belt and Henderson was doing the chasing.

Soon after the speculation, the bout was agreed for UFC 204. With no better place for Bisping’s first title defence, Manchester Arena was selected. The same venue where Bisping played with his young son after defeating Denis Kang at UFC 105. The same venue where Bisping dismantled Elvis Sinosic in his third ever UFC fight. The same venue where British boxing legends such as: Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe, Prince Naseem Hamed and many others have cemented their legacy.

A venue tied so closely to the city. The perfect venue for greatness. The perfect platform for stardom. The perfect platform for Michael Bisping.

With the knockout blow haunting Bisping for years, the bravery to take the fight was immense. A knockout loss could have seen the end of his career. His legacy tainted by one man. With all the pressure on Clitheroe’s finest, he took it in his stride, knowing a victory would enhance his own legacy.

16,000 tickets sold out in seconds. Fans from across Europe travelled to the heart of Manchester. To witness the first title defence of the local hero. October 8th was set in the calendar.

At 5.00am local time, Song 2 boomed through Manchester and the fighting world. The locals stayed up and sold out the event even with the unusual timing of the event. Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping stood in the cage together for the second time. Ready for war in Henderson’s final ever fight.

The first round stunned the crowd in attendance. Bisping implemented his usual high pace game plan, using his footwork to evade strikes. 262 seconds in, Henderson unleashed another right hand that nearly destroyed Bisping’s career. The blow landed clean on the chin of the Englishman, sprawling him out onto the canvas. Many fighters would have been out, but Bisping recovered, even smiling 40 seconds later.

The second round was also dramatic. The same thing happened with Henderson dropping Bisping, but he recovered and did well the rest of the round. The third and fourth saw Bisping take over. He achieved the range he needed. He didn’t hurt Henderson, but he began to hit him, using his footwork to evade the American.

The fifth round was close, making for a tough decision for the judges. Bloodied and bruised in the cage, Bisping was named the victor and revenge was complete.

For years, fans had mocked him for the knockout loss at UFC 100. In some areas, he was most well known for the knockout loss. All the pain and mockery had been turned around in the ultimate comeback. From lying cold on the Mandalay Bay floor to standing tall at the Manchester Arena. Michael Bisping had accomplished something many thought he never could.

Calls for retirement have surrounded Bisping since his first loss to Rockhold. If he would have given in then, his legacy wouldn’t have been anywhere near what it is now.

Despite retirement calls, he decided to headline UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden against Georges St-Pierre.

St-Pierre is one of the greatest fighters of all time. He dominated the 170lbs division, achieving a multitude of title defences before retiring in 2013. He returned at UFC 217, looking to claim another UFC title upon his return to the octagon.

During the first stage of his fighting career, GSP enthralled crowds with his dominance. The Canadian was obsessed. Fearful of losing. Notable wins over Nick Diaz and Matt Hughes left Canadian fans reeling for his return since November 2013.

The victor was looking to be recognised as one of the best in history.

Unfortunately for the British fans, Bisping fell short. The Canadian caught the Brit in the third round and sunk in a rear naked choke. The ending portrays the career of Bisping. He wouldn’t tap. He wouldn’t quit.

Surprisingly, Bisping took a fight just three weeks after losing his belt. After Anderson Silva was pulled from a fight with Kelvin Gastelum in Shanghai, the former middleweight champion asked to fight Gastelum. A huge risk and one which backfired. The short notice bout caught up with the Englishman, who was finished by a devastating left hand.

The end came for the fighting journey after China. His fighting legacy is complete. Thirty nine professional fights, seven countries. Fighting men from the favelas of Brazil to the streets of Stoke. Michael Bisping has fought everybody ever offered.

With the fighting career over, a new journey has arose. One where Bisping has found success on television and his other several outlets. The hard work of Bisping will find success in any walk of life.

One thing is for sure, Michael Bisping will be respected for years to come. The protagonist for United Kingdom mixed martial arts. The first English UFC champion. A true legend of the sport.