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Media: Hey, Michael Bisping is a really good fighter
By Zach Arnold | October 19, 2008
- The Telegraph (UK): Chris Leben admits Michael Bisping has qualities to become UFC champion
- The Sweet Science: Bisping closer to title shot with UFC 89 win
- The Sun (UK): Dan Hardy tipped for UFC 93
- The Sun (UK): Keith Jardine’s done messing around
- AOL Fanhouse: Did Bisping’s win at UFC 89 earn him a title shot?
- Neil Davidson (ESPN): What lies ahead for Bisping, Jardine and the UFC?
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 15 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
He’s a solid fighter, but I don’t think he’s ready for a title shot anytime soon. That said, if Anderson Silva continues to clean out the division, Bisping may get one just to bring some fresh meat in the cage for Silva to pummel.
Bisping looks okay against guys who come forward, but I have a feeling Silva is gonna force him to come forward and blow him away. Honestly, I didn’t think going in that Bisping could beat any of the division’s top ten or so and after watching him struggle with Leben, I feel the same way. He needs a gun to beat Leites, Okami, Marquhart, Henderson, or Franklin. Leben may actually be the best guy he ever actually beat, frightening as that may be.
Actually, lemme put this a different way: What has Michael Bisping done to differentiate himself as being clearly better than, say, a Joey Villasenor or Denis Kang? Those guys are fringe contenders, and at their best, their striking and grappling both look better than what Bisping brings to the table, and they do it against better competition.
^Hasn’t had any epic fuckups yet?
There is, very clearly, a consistent narrative in media outlets that puts Michael Bisping in the title picture, as evidenced by the headlines that Zach posted and the stories that are behind those headlines. The fact that Bisping is even in the title fight discussion is a bit ridiculous at this point. Is Yushin Okami not far more deserving of a title shot? Is Thales Leites not far more deserving of a title shot? Is Nathan Marquardt not far more deserving of a title shot? Is Dan Henderson not far more deserving of a title shot if he beats Rich Franklin?
The biggest win of Bisping’s career was over Chris Leben, not counting his ludicrous decision victory over Matt Hamill.
Sherdog is reporting that he will be a coach on TUF 9 with the winner of Franklin/Henderson. And he will fight that coach. So if he can beat Henderson or Franklin, he deserves a title shot.
At least he will have to prove himself before getting to Anderson Silva.
Franklin and Henderson are both better middleweights than Bisping could hope to be. Frankly, its unfortunate that either would have to put their career on hold until next summer just to get in an eliminator bout of sorts, especially so for Henderson given his age.
My opinion but i’ve always had Marquardt and Franklin as terribly overrated. I think the best competitors to Silva, other than Hendo who is certainly a good win for Anderson despite career struggles at MW and Okami, are not in the UFC. Akiyama, Misaki, Mousasi, Manhoef especially based on his style and power, and Jacare I think are all harder matchups for Anderson than Franklin or Marquardt.
Yawn
It’s MMA and anything can happen, so Bisping certainly COULD beat Henderson or Franklin. But even if he did, would he deserve a title shot more than Yushin Okami or Thales Leites. I don’t think so. Okami in particular is way overdue, even before his hand injury.
Here is a big thing for me, as good as Bisping might seem, you have to wonder about his ability to actually hurt people. I know Leben talks about his ‘chin of steel’ and whatnot, but we’ve seen Leben get knocked out before as well as go loopy from strikes. He put his hands down and was letting Bisping strike him and it was really having no effect.
While Bisping has a resume of knockouts, I don’t think I see that working out against actual top notch competition, never mind against Franklin, Henderson or Anderson Silva.
I would really like to see Okami face Anderson. Maybe they are saving that matchup for when they go back to Japan.
My guess would be that if Anderson Silva beats Patrick Cote, he will fight Yushin Okami next, and then the winner of TUF 9.
As for skwirrls comments…
A lot of the Middleweight Talent outside of the UFC has a lot to prove. Misaki wouldn’t make it in the UFC. Akiyama is very solid, but doesn’t have a win above Kang or Manhoef. And Mousasi just won a big tournament, but that tournament didn’t have even one Top 10 fighter in it when it began. That’s not to say that Mousasi himself isn’t Top 10 now (he is), but who exactly has he beaten who is top level to prove he even warrents a title shot?
Franklin and Henderson could both pick up an extra fight at light heavyweight near the start of the show though. There’s the potential for injury, but there wouldn’t be an ramifications for them at middleweight.
Typically they run a fight night the night they premiere the show, you could have the winner of Franklin/Henderson headline at light heavyweight.
It could either be something of a disaster, or it could be a massive coup. UFC doesn’t seem to mind putting Silva out there for something like that (you think he’s going to sit tight for six months with five fights left on his contract? hell no), so I think that if they want to do that, UFC would have to at least give it some thought.
When it comes to headlining spots with TUF, the UFC has perennially played it extremely safe with the coaches. I don’t see them risking any sort of injury 3 months out from the “payoff” for a free TV show. It makes no sense financially.
I just can’t see Silva sitting still for six months. He may have Buddha’s nature, but he seems to have one foot in a green pasture right now.