Bisping responds to Rogan ‘why bother’ comments

UFC color commentator and MMA personality Joe Rogan recently asked why the UFC bothers to have title fights at all. His reasoning was that the UFC is putting together compelling title fights that have nothing to do with rankings. Most notably middleweight champion Michael Bisping defended his title first against Dan Henderson and next against a returning former welterweight Georges St-Pierre.

The Count responded during a recent The Countdown podcast.

“Listen, Joe’s a very smart man and he’s very learned on the subject of mixed martial arts and the UFC,” said Bisping, as transcribed by Ben Kiely for Ireland’s SportsJoe. “He’s been around forever. He knows the sport, but as I say, he kind of contradicted himself. He’s like, ‘why have title fights?’ but then he says, ‘I, for sure, would get the popcorn and buy this PPV.”

“See, to become a champion, you have to pay your dues which I did for a long, long, long time. When you become the champion, it changes because now, it’s only a very small portion, but you get a portion of the PPV. Now every single fight you have, there’s a possibility you’re going to lose that fight, So you want to maximize the potential.

“You want the fights to be as big as possible, but in terms of credibility as well, that has to be a factor. With Georges St-Pierre coming back, I feel like I’m trying to justify a point that I’ve said a million times, but Joe actually just said there himself, he would buy the fight. He 100% would buy it, so therefore, there goes my argument.”

Rogan also took issue with Bisping’s claim that he would fight GSP, and if successful would turn around and fight #1 contender Yoel Romero in six weeks or so.

“Well actually, it’s not crazy, it’s not ludicrous, it’s not beyond the realms of imagination, because Georges St-Pierre, in a lot of ways, is the perfect warm-up fight for Yoel Romero,” said Bisping. “They’ve got very similar styles. Yes, Yoel is bigger and hits harder, but they’ve both got fantastic wrestling, they’re both shorter guys than me.”Say we fight, I don’t know when it is, say UFC 215 for argument’s sake. UFC 217, I’ll do it (fight Romero). I’ll do it because I don’t want all the work I’ve done, all the wrestling work I’ve done, I don’t want to get rusty in that regard.”

“Say we fight, I don’t know when it is, say UFC 215 for argument’s sake. UFC 217, I’ll do it [fight Romero]. I’ll do it because I don’t want all the work I’ve done, all the wrestling work I’ve done, I don’t want to get rusty in that regard.”

Bisping vs. GSP is expected to take time this Summer.