INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) – Michael Bisping fought for 10 years and 25 UFC bouts to get the opportunity that finally arrived in a rush last month.
The 37-year-old middleweight has beaten stars, lost to drug cheats and made millions in mixed martial arts, but he had never fought for a UFC title. A flamboyant English bad boy who promotes as well as he fights, Bisping thrived for years as a villain before emerging as a grudging fan favorite for his verbal dexterity and sheer tenacity in a notoriously fleeting profession.
When an injured Chris Weidman suddenly dropped out of his rematch with middleweight champion Luke Rockhold two weeks ago, the promotion needed a replacement contender for the main event of UFC 199 at the Forum on Saturday night.
Bisping (29-7) suddenly had the opportunity he had craved for a decade, albeit with no training camp against an opponent who already beat him 19 months ago.
The circumstances aren’t ideal, and not many people outside his camp expect him to claim Rockhold’s belt. Bisping only sees the opportunity that eluded him for so long.