Bisping to #1, #2, #4 contenders: HA HA

Unlike traditional sports where the path to a championship is clearly laid out via wins over increasingly winning opposition, in mixed martial arts and its parent boxing, championship shots can meander. In boxing, the champion, particularly the heavyweight champion, was traditionally given latitude. For his 19th title defense, Joe Louis fought a guy who was 3-3. The opponent was not some extraordinary prodigy; Johnny Davis would go on to be 5-21.

Mixed martial arts is not as extreme at its highest level, but when Michael Bisping upset Luke Rockhold for the UFC middleweight championship, the fans wanted to see a fight with Dan Henderson. Hendo was on the verge or retirement, had arguably the greatest career in MMA history, deserved an extraordinary last fight, and beat Bisping the first time in what is widely regarded as the best KO in league history.

However, Hendo was not the #1 contender. At lucky #13, he wasn’t even in the top 10. This upset the other top contenders:
#1. Luke Rockhold: It doesn’t make sense
#2. Chris Weidman: Bisping as champion is “embarrassing”
#3. Jacare Souza: The UFC stole what I won
#4. Yoel Romero: “Nobody give me. I take it.”

Bisping appeared recently on the Fight Society podcast with FOX Sport’s Damon Martin, and offered a response you can sum up in two words – ha ha.

“Every time I hear them whine and complain and piss and whine and moan, it puts a smile on my face,” said Bisping, as transcribed by Damon Martin for FOX Sports. “I sit back here and take a glance at the top of my TV where the belt sits and I have a little chuckle to myself.”

“When Chris Weidman is whining. When Yoel Romero is going on. When Luke Rockhold is going on and ‘Jacare’ and all these guys, oh my god, I laugh. I sit there and I look at them and I crack a smile and chuckle to myself.”

“Chris Weidman is fighting Yoel Romero. You know why I love that fight so much — because one of them has to lose and I can’t wait to find out which one it’s going to be. May the best man win and then I’ll fight the winner of that fight. One of them has to lose.

“To be honest, I’m rooting for Chris Weidman in that fight. Yoel Romero, reduced sentence or not, still tested positive for performing enhancing drugs, we all know my stance on that. Chris Weidman, if he ends up getting beat, he’s been a whiny little s*** as well. So either way, one of them gets beat and it will put a nice little smile on my face.”

Bisping is not blindly trash talking. He was highly respectful of Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, whose next fight is a rematch with Luke Rockhold on November 27, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 101. Rockhold won the first fight via unanimous decision back in 2011, taking Jacare’s Strikeforce middleweight championship.

“It’s a good rematch,” said Bisping. “The first fight was very, very close and again someone has to win, someone has to lose. Listen, I kind of fancy fighting Jacare. I like the challenge that he brings to the table, I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a fighter and as a person. He carries himself with class. I’ve got nothing against him. He’s a tough son of a b****.

“If Rockhold wins, I guess maybe we can do it again if that’s what the UFC wants to do. I fought Rockhold once, I wanted to fight him twice, I’ve certainly got no problem doing it a third time and if it’s Jacare that comes out on top, then he’s the next No. 1 contender for sure.”

“I’ve never ducked an opponent, I’ve never turned down an opponent. I certainly don’t intend on starting now.”

Michael Bisping fights Dan Henderson in the main event of UFC 204 on Saturday night.