Synonymous for British mixed martial arts for more than a decade, Michael Bisping accurately meets many of the stereotypes one would expect from an Englishman. The archetypal underdog, 'The Count' is the UFC's premier journeyman, working his way to the top over a career spanning more than 10 years. His bulldog tenacity is only matched by his quick wit and vicious barbs, with the Clitheroe-born fighter as renowned for the quantity of his trash talk as his strikes.
He's been in the UFC for so long, it'd be easy to forget that Bisping's origins are in the company's reality TV programme, The Ultimate Fighter. In fact, he's arguably the show's most successful graduate, winning as a fighter and twice as a coach (seasons nine and 14). However, when he burst through the doors of the UFC Performance Centre in 2006 a brash, loud-mouthed lout, you could have been forgiven for dismissing him out of hand.
As his appearances on the Ultimate Fighter showed, it's no secret that 'The Count' is an acquired test for many fans of the sport. Despite this, there are few that are as revered at home. Perhaps best illustrated by the noise and support shown in his middleweight title defence at UFC 204, this clearly has an impact on Bisping when he steps inside the cage. He retains a 100 per cent record when on British soil, winning nine UFC bouts at venues across England and Scotland, and nineteen in total when you factor in his early career.
As he enters his 26th UFC bout - the most in the company's history - it is perhaps a little sad that for all of his successes inside the Octagon, his most memorable moments have come during his losses. Anyone who has ever watched a highlight reel of knockouts on YouTube will know about the Dan Henderson right hand that separated Bisping from his consciousness at UFC 100, as well as the follow-up diving right that would become the American's personal brand.
The most damaging blow was still to come for Bisping. A head kick from a TRT fuelled Vitor Belfort would detach the retina from the Brit's right eye - an injury that nearly ended his career prematurely, and left him permanently disfigured. Indeed, 'The Count' has talked at length about the trials of handling and recovering from the injury, including experiencing intermittent loss of vision as his eye filled with blood. The fact that he is fighting at all is testament to the strength and determination of Bisping, and his refusal to be beaten has certainly paid dividends since.
While he has been known as the middleweight division's 'nearly man' for many years, this tag was to change to title contender following one of the most dramatic fights of 2016. In the main event of another homecoming, Bisping got the fight he had been dreaming about since the start of his career against Anderson Silva - arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
Having outboxed the legend for the better part of two rounds, including a knockdown, the Brit again showed his remarkable cardio and powers of recovery. In the midst of confusion over Bisping's missing mouthguard, a flying knee from the Brazilian would send the Brit to his knees at the buzzer, with Silva convinced the fight was won. Instead, Bisping recovered, safely navigating the latter rounds to claim a decision victory and send a message to the rest of the division.
If that win was remarkable, his next was truly outrageous. With 11 days notice, Bisping would find himself walking off a movie set to enter into a title bout against old foe Luke Rockhold - his first championship opportunity in more than a decade in the organisation. And three minutes and thirty six seconds later, it was all over, and the first British UFC champion had been crowned.
As his appearances on the Ultimate Fighter showed, it's no secret that 'The Count' is an acquired test for many fans of the sport. Despite this, there are few that are as revered at home. Perhaps best illustrated by the noise and support shown in his middleweight title defence at UFC 204, this clearly has an impact on Bisping when he steps inside the cage. He retains a 100 per cent record when on British soil, winning nine UFC bouts at venues across England and Scotland, and nineteen in total when you factor in his early career.
As he enters his 26th UFC bout - the most in the company's history - it is perhaps a little sad that for all of his successes inside the Octagon, his most memorable moments have come during his losses. Anyone who has ever watched a highlight reel of knockouts on YouTube will know about the Dan Henderson right hand that separated Bisping from his consciousness at UFC 100, as well as the follow-up diving right that would become the American's personal brand.
The most damaging blow was still to come for Bisping. A head kick from a TRT fuelled Vitor Belfort would detach the retina from the Brit's right eye - an injury that nearly ended his career prematurely, and left him permanently disfigured. Indeed, 'The Count' has talked at length about the trials of handling and recovering from the injury, including experiencing intermittent loss of vision as his eye filled with blood. The fact that he is fighting at all is testament to the strength and determination of Bisping, and his refusal to be beaten has certainly paid dividends since.
While he has been known as the middleweight division's 'nearly man' for many years, this tag was to change to title contender following one of the most dramatic fights of 2016. In the main event of another homecoming, Bisping got the fight he had been dreaming about since the start of his career against Anderson Silva - arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
Having outboxed the legend for the better part of two rounds, including a knockdown, the Brit again showed his remarkable cardio and powers of recovery. In the midst of confusion over Bisping's missing mouthguard, a flying knee from the Brazilian would send the Brit to his knees at the buzzer, with Silva convinced the fight was won. Instead, Bisping recovered, safely navigating the latter rounds to claim a decision victory and send a message to the rest of the division.
If that win was remarkable, his next was truly outrageous. With 11 days notice, Bisping would find himself walking off a movie set to enter into a title bout against old foe Luke Rockhold - his first championship opportunity in more than a decade in the organisation. And three minutes and thirty six seconds later, it was all over, and the first British UFC champion had been crowned.
It has not been all plain sailing as middleweight champion for the Brit, with his reign fraught with accusations of avoiding true contenders like Yoel Romero and Rockhold. This argument gathered some legitimacy when Bisping elected to face a 46-year-old Dan Henderson, ranked 13 in the world, in his first title defence at UFC 204. That decision nearly proved his downfall, with Henderson twice landing his patented H-bomb.
However, unlike in 2009, Bisping recovered from the early set back. Utilising his exceptional cardio and strike rate, he was able to outpoint the aging American, much to the delight of a vociferous home crowd.
As a result, The Count comes to New York City on a five fight winning streak, the longest of his UFC career, and highest since 2007. However, Bisping may not want to know that while he is unbeaten on British shores, he holds only a 6-3 record when fighting in the US. In particular, his record in big fights is not good, losing two title eliminators against Henderson and Sonnen early in his career before knocking out Rockhold last year.
As the cage door closes at Madison Square Garden against GSP, will the pressure get the better of Bisping? Or, if recent comments are to be believed, will he set up a fairytale finish to his career, defending his title at home once again?
Where does Bisping's career rank in Ultimate Fighter alumni? Does he need a win at UFC 217 to soldify his legacy? Let me know your thoughts either in the comments or at @TheWeighInMMA on Twitter.
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