UFC 139 left the MMA community buzzing with one of the best cards and a main event that had everyone on the edges of their seat. The general consensus was that it was one of the greatest fights they had ever seen.
Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping felt no different telling The Roar in an interview “It was one hell of a fight…it was definitely one of the best of all time”.
While the dust settles from the euphoria of UFC 139, MMA fans now prepare themselves for The Ultimate Fighter 14 finale where coaches, Bisping and Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller take to the octagon.
The current TUF series has been a successful on all levels. The coaches provided some quality entertainment with their constant bickering and upping the ante on pranks and as for the fighters, have put on some high quality performances inside the octagon.
As a former contestant on TUF 3, Bisping knows all too well how important this once in a lifetime opportunity is to each of the fighters. So being on the flipside as a coach, albeit for the second time, he had invaluable insight.
“I always tried my best to give them the best training possible to give them the chance to succeed. I was in their shoes trying to make it as a fighter, willing to sacrifice everything to make it and this is a big opportunity for them,” he says.
Now living in California, Bisping is not concerned about the possibility of receiving a hostile reception, especially after the controversy and the spitting incident that was caused between he and Jorge Rivera back in February.
Bisping was quick to clarify his actions, saying, “I spat at his corner. I spat on the floor in his direction… I didn’t spit on him at all. I stared at him, I told him what I thought and spat on the floor.
“I’m fighting in the States and I am fighting an American guy in his own backyard. They can boo all they want, it’s not going to affect the serious hard training that I have been doing for the last ten weeks or affect the drive and will I have to succeed.
“If I get a heavy boo at this event then I am afraid people are going to go home disappointed because I am going to win this fight.”
Despite the lack of mutual respect we have seen between the two on TUF, Bisping confesses that even though Miller has been in the game for a long time he does pose “some problems” especially in his ground game but not enough to stop him.
“I wanted to fight someone who would get me a title shot if I beat them but I am not sure that Miller is going to do that. I leave that down to the UFC. They tell me who and when to fight and I turn up and hopefully kick some butt,” he says.
For the first time in his career Bisping was KO’d by Dan Henderson at UFC 100 but even though Miller used this to try and wind up Bisping during TUF, he claims that the KO on his record doesn’t bother him and in fact made him a better fighter.
“I am a completely different fighter to what I was back then and I have improved a hell of a lot,” he says.
“It was the best thing that happened to me. It made me realise that I made a few mistakes that I could improve on and correct and that’s what I went away and did. So I thank Henderson for that.”
The truth is if Bisping wants to ever see a title shot, this fight is a must win for him. Should he lose against Miller this weekend, he slides right back down the ranks of a very competitive weight division.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 finale will broadcast on channel GO! on Sunday night at 12.00am (AEDST) and Fuel TV on Monday at 7.30pm (AEDST) – check your local guides for details.
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