UFC 110: Michael Bisping - “Contender or Pretender?”

Michael Bisping to face Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 in a key Middleweight bout

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Michael “The Count” Bisping has been utilized primarily as the cover boy for the UFC’s British expansion. He was first seen on The Ultimate Fighter 3 where he eventually became the light-heavyweight tournament winner. He then appeared on season 9 as the cocky coach of Team United Kingdom and led his team to three out of the four possible finale spots. It is fairly obvious; the development that he has made over the 4 + years in the organization has been great. That development will take an even greater stride if Bisping is able to get by Wanderlei Silva in the co-main event at UFC 110 from Sydney, Australia.

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No matter the reason Bisping was brought into the UFC, there is no doubt that he has made good use of his opportunities. His skills begin with his personality and marketability; however you can’t look beyond his 8-2 record in the UFC which includes his most impressive victory at UFC 105 over Denis Kang. In that victory, Bisping proved that he has the ability to bounce back after his devastating KO loss against Dan Henderson and get right back in the mix of things in the middleweight division.

If “The Count” can put back to back victories together against solid opponents, he will have to be on a very short list as a 185-pound contender. It would no doubt be the biggest victory of his career. The victory will not come easy; Silva is one of the most dangerous strikers on earth.

The one knock on Bisping over the years has been his inability to win the “big one.” He has answered the call on all of the so-called fights that he was supposed to win; for example, Jason Day, Charles McCarthy and Chris Leben all fall into that category, but has struggled against the top tier guys. His UFC 78 loss to Rashad Evans, when he was a light-heavyweight, was controversial to some, however many more believe that the unanimous decision in Evans’ favor was correct. Also, when Dan Henderson’s promise to shut Bisping up at UFC 100 came true, the argument became even more apparent. The question comes up yet again at UFC 110 when a true future Hall-of-Famer in Wanderlei Silva comes calling.

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If Bisping does drop the ball once again, I believe he will become more of a high level gatekeeper rather than a prospect. I don’t believe that he should be run out of the octagon with a loss, but he also shouldn’t be considered a legitimate contender until he can stop a top-5 fighter.

Bisping’s future as a British showcase fighter is safe; however this fight will help answer a very important question. Is Bisping a real contender or more of a pretender? Your guess is as good as mine, tune in Saturday night – it’s going to be fun finding the answer.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer