Michael Bisping says sparring footage of Alex Pereira working with UFC heavyweight Tallison Teixeira looks concerning ahead of his move up to the heavyweight division at UFC Freedom 250.
Pereira faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title on June 14 at the White House. Bisping addressed the training footage on his YouTube channel.
“He is going to put on 30 pounds, something like that. So that means he’s going to be slower. It means he’s going to be fighting bigger guys, and it means he’s probably going to be fighting people that can punch harder. What do you do to prepare for such a thing? You spar other heavyweights, and lately some footage has come out. I’ve got to say, it looks a little concerning for Alex Pereira.”
Bisping walked through a specific sequence from the footage.
“For Alex Pereira going up against Ciryl Gane, you would think that he would be having his way. We see here, he’s backing him up against the fence, he’s about to go on the attack, nice 1-2, but Tallison fires back with some heavy firepower — cracks him with the right hand. And you know that Ciryl Gane is going to have the speed advantage. He’s also going to be lighter on the feet. Now granted, this is sparring, and we don’t know. Maybe Pereira wasn’t feeling it that day.”
A win over Gane would make Pereira the first fighter in UFC history to claim a version of the title in three separate weight classes.
Michael Bisping says the atmosphere at the UFC’s small Apex facility felt more electric than the Intuit Dome during MVP MMA 1 on Saturday night, despite the Netflix card featuring far bigger names.
Speaking on his Believe You Me podcast, Bisping described switching between the two broadcasts.
“I was bouncing back and forth, now, I don’t know, maybe I’m biased. The UFC was at the Apex. It sounded louder than the Intuit Dome. There definitely seemed like there was more vibe coming from the small Apex. Maybe it was because it was the prelims. It didn’t seem like there were many people there.”
MVP MMA 1 drew an attendance of 15,795 at Intuit Dome and peaked at 17 million global viewers on Netflix. UFC Fight Night 276, headlined by Arnold Allen’s unanimous decision win over Melquizael Costa, took place at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
Callum Bisping has picked up his first stoppage victory as an amateur MMA fighter, moving to 2-0 and making his famous father very proud in the process.
The 24-year-old competed at a Regime Fight League event in Westlake Village, California, facing Brycen MacLeod, who entered the bout with a 2-0 record. Bisping used his wrestling background, having competed at the NCAA Division 2 level at San Francisco State University, to take the fight to the ground quickly. He secured the mount and landed punches until the referee waved it off in the first round.
Michael Bisping’s son won by TKO last night. 👏
Callum Bisping moves to 2-0 as an amateur MMA fighter after winning his debut by unanimous decision in December. pic.twitter.com/XyMkeWAq9H
Michael Bisping took to Instagram on Sunday morning to congratulate his son and thank everyone involved in the corner and at the event.
“So proud of Callum Bisping taking his MMA record to 2-0 with a first round stoppage. Great work son. A huge thank you to the coach for giving up his weekend to corner him. The whole team at The Den Training Center and to RFL MMA SoCal for putting on a great show and being so hospitable to us,” Bisping wrote.
Callum’s debut victory came by unanimous decision over Chayton Acevedo at Fight Club LA in December, making Saturday’s stoppage win his second amateur result.
“The Ultimate Fighter” (TUF) is officially set to return for its 34th season, with two familiar faces stepping into coaching roles once again.
The UFC has confirmed that Season 34 will premiere on June 14 on Paramount+, kicking off a new chapter for the long-running reality competition series.
The upcoming “TUF” season will premiere on June 14, streaming on Paramount+, ahead of the highly anticipated UFC Freedom 250 event. New episodes will follow every Tuesday, continuing across a 12-episode run.
This time around, coaching duties will be handled by UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping, both of whom have become key voices on the promotion’s broadcast team in recent years.
Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier are the coaches for the first season of TUF in the Paramount era. pic.twitter.com/YD4GM44jdp
Season 34 will feature a mix of men’s bantamweight and women’s strawweight prospects, with 16 fighters competing for a coveted UFC contract. The format remains rooted in the show’s original concept, offering rising talent a pathway into the organization through competition and exposure.
For “DC”, this marks another milestone. The former UFC two-division champion becomes the first coach in the show’s history to lead back-to-back seasons, having also served in that role last season. Overall, it will be his third stint as a coach on the series.
Bisping, a former UFC middleweight champion and winner of the show himself (Season 3), also returns for his third appearance as a coach. His history with the series dates back to his own breakthrough moment, making his involvement come full circle.
Over the years, the show has played a major role in shaping the UFC roster, producing several champions and top contenders. Names like Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, TJ Dillashaw, Robert Whittaker, Carla Esparza, and Rose Namajunas all emerged from the platform, highlighting its long-term impact on the sport.
Michael Bisping believes Lerone Murphy should have defeated Movsar Evloev at UFC London. The featherweight bout ended in a majority decision for Evloev (20-0), but Bisping disagreed with the judges’ scorecards.
The UFC London main event saw two judges score the fight 48-46 for Evloev, while the third judge scored it 47-47. Evloev also had a point deducted in Round 4 for low blows. Murphy’s record now stands at 17-1-1.
Bisping’s Analysis
Michael Bisping, who did commentary live, said right away that he saw the fight differently. On his YouTube channel, Bisping said:
“I’ll just get to the point: I thought Lerone — and I’ve got nothing against Movsar, and this is not me being biased, for all the American fans — I thought Lerone should have won that fight.”
“I thought he won the first three rounds. I thought Movsar didn’t pick it up and really start going for it until Rounds 4 and 5. And clearly Movsar won Rounds 4 and 5. He dominated those rounds. He busted him up. He damaged him. Lerone was talking about at the end of 4, he blew his hip out and whatnot.”
He also pointed to the score math and deduction, saying:
“But even still, that’s three rounds to two. And then, even if you give Movsar the third round, which was a close one, Movsar had a point deducted for the two groin shots. He had a point deducted in Round 4.”
Bisping further stated that the deduction could have altered the final result to a draw. He said:
“Now, maybe I’m wrong, but there was the point deduction. So, should it have been a draw? Because if it’s two rounds apiece, and let’s just say Movsar won three out of [five], well then, he’s essentially lost one of them because he loses the point. So, if anything, it should have been a draw, in my humble opinion.”
Bisping scored the fight either a draw or in favor of Murphy. There is debate among commentators, including Michael Bisping, who scored rounds 1-3 for Murphy and cited the point deduction, according to TNT Fight Sports YouTube Review.
Evloev is now positioned as next in line for a featherweight title shot.
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has weighed in on the heated exchange between Paddy Pimblett and Dan Hooker, suggesting the Liverpool fighter’s comments about Hooker’s mother were inappropriate but that the subsequent response went too far.
Michael Bisping Questions Whether Paddy Pimblett Crossed the Line With Dan Hooker Insults
Pimblett sparked controversy during an interview with The MMA Guru when he criticized Hooker’s grappling abilities using a crude analogy involving Hooker’s mother.
Bisping acknowledged the comment was out of bounds while offering context about regional humor. “You’ve got to remember he’s a lad from Liverpool where they do have a great sense of humor, but also it can be a little cutting, it can be a little bit dark, and he was speaking to another English guy,” Bisping said. “I’m not defending the fact that he brought up Dan Hooker’s mom – he should not have done that. But in the context it wasn’t that bad. He never said anything too bad. He was basically just talking about the grappling of Dan Hooker.”
Hooker responded on social media by referencing Pimblett’s friend Ricky, who died by suicide in 2022. The New Zealand fighter wrote “RIP Ricky” in a post that questioned whether Pimblett was a good friend. Bisping called the response understandable given the circumstances.
“Dan came out with a response and said, ‘I thought we were mates. Obviously you’re not a very good mate, are you? #PaddyTheBaddy. RIP Ricky.’ And that is having a dig at one of his friends that ended his own life,” Bisping explained. “Paddy’s not happy with that and that is a disgusting comeback, it is. But given what Paddy said, it’s like the gloves are off. All’s fair in love and war.”
The former champion emphasized that bringing up mothers rarely ends well in combat sports. “Any time you bring up the mothers it never ends well,” Bisping said.
“Men’s health and mental health is a huge issue – a tremendous amount of men pass away every year via suicide and it’s not a laughing matter – but as I say, Dan Hooker was offended, he was pissed off, very angry and emotional.”
UFC 324
Bisping outlined potential matchmaking scenarios stemming from the feud. Pimblett faces Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Hooker meets Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 325 in Sydney one week later.
“If Paddy beats Gaethje he becomes the interim champion. After that, Dan Hooker’s off his radar – he will not get to fight Dan Hooker,” Bisping said. “But if Paddy loses – if he loses – I think we might see this fight happen pretty quickly.”
Regarding acceptable boundaries in trash talk, Bisping was clear about where lines should be drawn. “You don’t talk about families and you certainly don’t talk about mothers and you certainly don’t make fun of people that have passed away,” he said. “Leave all that off the table. Talk about them, their looks, their fights, the way they dress – whatever you want – just leave all that out of it.”
Despite the controversy, Bisping noted the exchange benefits Pimblett’s profile. “It does make it spicy, it does give people like me something to talk about and it certainly makes the matchmaking interesting,” he said. “Whether people love him or hate him, they’re all going to tune in to watch him.”
UFC commentator Michael Bisping has explained why he believes Charles Oliveira will accept a fight against Mateusz Gamrot on short notice.
As we know, Charles Oliveira is an absolute warrior and a true fan favorite in the world of mixed martial arts. However, after his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria, the Brazilian sensation decided to jump back on the horse by booking a fight at UFC Rio – not long after the KO defeat.
Unfortunately, after his opponent Rafael Fiziev pulled out, Charles Oliveira has been left without an opponent. Mateusz Gamrot is someone who has been poking the bear and implying that he will take on ‘Do Bronx’ and in the eyes of Michael Bisping, that makes sense.
Michael Bisping’s thoughts on Charles Oliveira vs Mateusz Gamrot
“I can’t imagine Charles Oliveira will turn this down,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Remember, these are tweets on Sunday from Mateusz Gamrot. I’m sure that when Charles Oliveira gets wind of this, I’m sure the UFC would like to make this matchup. … Mateusz Gamrot 100 percent wants the fight. I think that’s the fight to make.”
“I’m sure Charles Oliveira is not worried about the style of Mateusz Gamrot,” Bisping said. “Charles Oliveira has stepped in there against the very best. He’s not scared of anyone. Fighters at this level, they aren’t scared. The stylistic matchup that he has, the way that he goes forward, the way that he walks people down, the way that he strikes, he’s got knockout power. He’s got finishing ability in every bloody fiber of his body.
“And Mateusz Gamrot, given his style, isn’t going to knock him out because he’s just not that guy. He tends to go forward, he’ll use a single-leg takedown, head on the outside, which is dangerous against Oliveira for the guillotines, but that’s what he does. He takes people down and he’s got a really smothering style on the ground and, of course, a tremendous ground game, but it’s not the striking that he’s known for.
“Given the last fight [Oliveira] had against Ilia Topuria, the last thing you want to do is go up against someone with knockout power, which is what he was doing against Fiziev, and that’s why I respected him taking that matchup. This truly is kind of a crazy wrinkle here from Mateusz Gamrot.”
UFC legend Michael Bisping has explained why Khamzat Chimaev being UFC middleweight champion is a nightmare for the rest of the division.
Khamzat Chimaev captured the middleweight title at UFC 319 by dominating Dricus du Plessis. He did so with his incredible wrestling ability and ever since then, people have been wondering the same thing: who on earth is going to stop this guy? He is a force of nature and if he can do that to DDP, he can probably do it to a lot of other middleweights – if not all of them.
Recently, Din Thomas said that he was concerned about Khamzat Chimaev being world champion due to his inactivity. He isn’t someone who tends to fight a great deal inside the cage, raising a few eyebrows about whether or not he would be an active champion.
Michael Bisping, however, has a different thought process when it comes to the reign of Khamzat Chimaev.
Michael Bisping’s thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev as UFC champion
“I don’t mean because of what Din Thomas said. Din Thomas was like, ‘He isn’t going to be able to fight too frequently. He struggles to get visas and stuff like that.’ No, when I say this is a disaster, it’s a disaster for the division because from what I see there, ain’t nobody—ain’t nobody apart from Reinier de Ridder—ain’t nobody beating him. Reinier de Ridder is the only guy that has a shot because of the jiu-jitsu, because of the skills that he has off his back. Okay.”
UFC commentator Michael Bisping has given his thoughts on what could be the X-factor between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319.
As we know, Dricus du Plessis will defend the UFC middleweight championship against Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319. It’s shaping up to be one of the most intriguing fights of the year and while you’ll find a lot of people saying that about a lot of different fights, it certainly seems to be appropriate for this one.
Khamzat Chimaev is seen by many as the favorite, but underestimating Dricus du Plessis is a mistake that many of us have made over the years. DDP just seems to be getting more and more confident every single time he goes out there, and he has more than earned the right to call himself the king of the middleweight division.
As we look ahead to fight night, Michael Bisping recently gave his thoughts on what the determining factor could be between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis.
Michael Bisping’s view on Dricus du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev
“Mental toughness does come into this because sometimes when you are so tired and your lungs are burning and you can’t breathe and your shoulders are on fire and you just want to sit down and collapse and just be left alone, you can always find that next level.
“That is why coaches always say, you’ve got to dig deep. You’ve got to dig deep. You’ve got to find that area, that level to where you can push more. It is just a state of mind. Yes, your heart is beating out of your chest, but if you choose to, you can keep going. And that’s just a fact.”
After making his spectacular UFC debut in 2020, pummeling three opponents in the span of eight weeks, everyone thought Chimaev was on the fast track to title contention. Unfortunately, Chimaev’s momentum was halted due to an especially difficult bout with COVID-19 followed by a slew of post-pandemic illnesses that kept his appearances inside the Octagon few and far between.
Since 2022, ‘Borz’ has only competed once a year, leading some to speculate that a win over du Plessis in ‘The Windy City’ could be a disastrous turn of events for the UFC.
“Would Khamzat Chimaev winning the belt be a disaster for the division?,” ex-UFC champ Michael Bisping questioned on his Believe You Me podcast. “I got to agree that as far as promotion-wise, yeah, it could be, right?”
“Until we see him fight more regularly, then it is a question,” co-host and former fighter Paul Felder added. “It is a problem.”
UFC 319 will be Khamzat Chimaev’s first time fighting in the U.S. since 2022
Aside from Chimaev’s inconsistent schedule and laundry-list of cancelled bouts, another cause for concern could be his willingness to fight stateside. When ‘Borz’ steps inside the United Center this weekend, it will be his first time competing in the U.S. since September 10, 2022. On that night, Chimaev was originally scheduled to face Nate Diaz in the UFC 279 main event.
However, Chimaev infamously stepped in the scale eight pounds over the welterweight limit, forcing the UFC to shake-up the top of the card 24 hours before fight night.
Chimaev went on to ragdoll Kevin Holland in the co-main event, earning his sixth win inside the Octagon. He was subsequently forced to move up from 170 to middleweight, where he’s since added wins over Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker, setting the stage for his scrap with ‘DDP’ in ‘Chi-Town.’
Between illnesses, weight misses, and cancellations aplenty, are Bisping and Felder right to be concerned about what the middleweight division could look like with Chimaev sitting on the throne?
Michael Bisping was nearly the victim of a notorious serial killer that terrorized northern England two decades ago.
In August 2021, ‘The Count’ revealed on his YouTube channel that as a teenager, he was the victim of a home invasion. Bisping delivered disturbing details of the account, claiming that a man had stormed into his home armed with a hammer, gasoline, and ill intent.
“But if you really want to know about a time somebody did really try and kill me, I’ll take you back to 1997.”
Bisping continued, “He drops the petrol canister and kind of looks at me a bit weird; he pulls his jacket to one side and pulls out a lump hammer… and he just comes storming towards me like that and I’m like, oh my god!”
At the time, Bisping believed the intruder was someone he knew looking to settle a score.
“So I think it’s Roy… and he’s come back to get revenge or whatever. So that gives me a ton of confidence. So I open the door and I go to go with him—he swings the lump hammer and I move back and I just feel the wind of the lump hammer going past my face. He throws my ironing board at me, I knock that out of the way, and I’m chasing after him—now I’ve only got a pair of shorts, no shoes… He gets away.”
As it turns out, the unidentified assailant may have been England’s infamous ‘Hammer Killer.’
Did one of England’s most brutal serial killer’s target Michael Bisping?
Between 1991 and 2004, a string of unsolved murders in northern England followed a similar pattern, with forced entry, petrol-soaked crime scenes, and blunt force trauma from a hammer. The attacks ceased abruptly and investigators have been unable to identify the killer, but the confession of a man currently serving a life sentence for rape and arson has brought the horrific incidents back into light and attracted the attention of the former UFC star.
The convict recently became the subject of a prison interview titled Face-to-Face with a Monster: My Exclusive Prison Interview with the Man Claiming to Be Northern England’s Elusive Hammer Killer, and he claims that Bisping was one of his intended targets.
“He terrorized a region for over a decade, left a trail of unsolved murders, and now he says Michael Bisping was his next victim,” read a post on X that Bisping reposted adding: “Where you see this? This did happen to me.”
Michael Bisping wants to see McGregor vs. Diaz 3 go down at The White House.
Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intent to hold a UFC event on the lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, pundits have been busy fantasy booking the history-making fight card, with everything from Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall to a rematch between bitter rivals Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal being at the top of their lists.
But one fighter ‘The Count’ would love to see make his triumphant return in the nation’s capital next year is non other than the ‘Stockton Samurai’ himself, Nate Diaz.
“Diaz is a bit of a badass,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “The way that he carries himself, the way that he keeps it real.”
Diaz ended his 15-year run in the UFC in 2022 following a submission victory over Tony Ferguson. Since then, he’s competed in boxing bouts against Jake Paul and the aforementioned Jorge Masvidal, but Diaz has always insisted his return to the Octagon was just a matter of time.
“Nate Diaz wants to come back,” Bisping continued. “First of all, he’s got to sign with the UFC.”
Bisping wants McGregor vs. Diaz 3 at The White House
As for who Diaz could potentially face in a potential return, Bisping thinks a fight with former featherweight champ and reigning BMF titleholder Max Holloway would be a hell of a matchup.
“If I’m Max Holloway, why not? 100%,” Bispsing said. “That would be a great fight for Max Holloway. The version of Max Holloway at 155 pounds, I think he would have a field day with Nate Diaz.”
However, the former middleweight champ thinks there is an even bigger fight for Diaz — one that could turn the proposed White House card from a cheap gimmick into must-see TV.
“Wouldn’t you rather see Nate Diaz versus Conor McGregor at the White House? That’s the fight that I’d rather see if I’m honest,” Bisping added.
McGregor and Diaz have met twice before, competing in back-to-back bouts under the UFC banner in 2016. Diaz stepped in on short notice to fight the former two-division titleholder at UFC 196, and handed McGregor his first-ever defeat inside the Octagon.
Five month later, McGregor scored some redemption, besting Diaz via majority decision at UFC 202. Three months after that, McGregor would go on to KO Eddie Alvarez and claim the lightweight world title, becoming the promotion’s first-ever simultaneous two-division champion.
UFC legend Michael Bisping has given his thoughts on the new generation of fighters in comparison to his own era.
Throughout the course of his iconic career, Michael Bisping achieved a lot of wonderful things in the sport of mixed martial arts. In his home country of England, especially, he was able to take the game to heights that were previously unthinkable.
These days, Bisping enjoys his days as an analyst and commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship – in addition to some acting work here and there.
In a recent chat with Paul Felder, Michael Bisping had some interesting thoughts on how fighters approach the game these days.
Michael Bisping rants about new generation
Michael Bisping:
“All you hear people talk about: ice corner, red lights, this, that, bloody massages galore… But also, you got to learn how to work hard as well. You know what I’m saying? You can’t replace it all with good old-fashioned—sorry, you can’t replace good old-fashioned hard work.”
Paul Felder:
“I think the old generation suffered from too much hard training, right? And we overdid it and we were always banged up and we sparred really hard and all that kind of stuff. But now I feel like the new generation has the opposite problem where they’re all trying to be elite level athletes, which is fantastic.“
Michael Bisping:
“It’s like having a Ferrari and driving it like you’re going for a Sunday drive with your grandma in it. You got to put that foot down sometimes. You got to go. You got to burn rubber.”
UFC commentator Michael Bisping has given his thoughts on Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall potentially taking place after all – at the White House.
As we know, Jon Jones decided to retire from mixed martial arts just a few short weeks ago. However, he then proceeded to tease the idea of a comeback, implying that he’s re-entered the UFC testing pool. Regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of him, it’s safe to say that the majority of MMA hardcore fans aren’t happy by his indecisiveness.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, the aforementioned Michael Bisping weighed in on the Jon Jones/Tom Aspinall ordeal.
Michael Bisping’s view on Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall
“I don’t know if Jon’s having a laugh, if he’s being silly, if he’s just taking the piss, or if he’s actually serious. I mean, what has changed in two weeks’ time? Of course, Trump talking about a fight at the White House. Maybe that’s it. I don’t think it is that. I do think that he would want to fight at the White House, and I’m sure every single fighter is going to want to do that.”
“Of course, him versus Tom Aspinall—England versus USA, 1776 all over again at the White House. Unbelievable. Of course that should be top of the bill, right? But is that really what’s going on? Is it just the fact that they’re going to do a fight at the White House or has something else changed? The fact that he’s re-entered the testing pool means he’s not messing around.”
Patricio Pitbull is set to make his first appearance in the UFC on April 12 in Miami against Yair Rodriguez. This featherweight match will be part of the main card at UFC 314.
Pitbull’s most recent fight was in March 2024 when he won by technical knockout in the third round against Jeremy Kennedy. This victory allowed him to defend the Bellator featherweight championship for what turned out to be the last time.
Michael Bisping analyzed the main fights scheduled for UFC 314 in a new video on his YouTube channel. Bisping believes Patricio Pitbull’s age is a key point of discussion leading up to the Brazilian’s UFC debut against Rodriguez.
“Can the old guy get it done? Patricio ‘Pitbull,’ 37 years old coming over from Bellator, where I think he was a four-time champion. Biggest win, probably, when he knocked out ‘Iron’ Mike Chandler in the very first round, vicious right hand. He’s got good jiu-jitsu, but he’s 37 years old,” Bisping said. “There’s a lot of wear and tear, there’s a lot of miles on the clock, and that’s not surprising when you look at the amount of experience.”
Alex Pereira’s ascent to light heavyweight dominance — marked by five straight wins, four knockout title fights, and victories over former champions — had built an aura of invincibility.
At UFC 313, however, Magomed Ankalaev dismantled that perception, ending Pereira’s reign in a decisive five-round encounter.
While the fight remained competitive, Pereira appeared uncharacteristically passive, often yielding ground to Ankalaev’s relentless pressure and cage control.
UFC color commentator Michael Bisping discussed Pereira’s performance on the Believe You Me podcast, with fellow analyst Paul Felder voicing strong criticism. “The Irish Dragon” called out Pereira for what he perceived as a lack of urgency.
“He never really opened up,” Felder said of Alex Pereira. “I was getting — I don’t wanna say mad, I’m not his coach, I’m not a training partner — but as a fan of the guy and somebody that I like to see perform, I was p*ssed off, dude.
“I agree that it was a bit lazy and one-sided on his part for a guy that’s got dynamite and apparently rocks in those hands,” Felder continued. “He never let them go. That’s just lazy.”
Michael Bisping believes it’s long overdue for the UFC to impose harsh repercussions for eye pokes.
The UFC Seattle headliner between former two-division champion Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong took a controversial turn last Saturday when an eye poke brought the fight to an abrupt conclusion.
During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Bisping — who was on commentary for the Fight Night event — shared his thoughts on the polarizing outcome of the Cejudo vs. Yadong fight.
Drawing from his own experiences, the UFC Hall of Famer argued that “Kung Fu Kid” should have faced some form of penalty for the severe eye poke.
“No. 1, I think we should have had a point deducted,” Bisping said And I don’t say that because I want to see Song Yadong’s career jeopardized or anything like that. No, I like Song Yadong, I’m very good friends with Urijah Faber, and I have a lot of respect for the whole team.”
“The Count” further pushed for the UFC to enforce stricter penalties, such as automatic point deductions, to deter fighters from extending their fingers in a way that increases the risk of eye pokes.
But the eye pokes, people need to know that there’s goddamn f**king consequences. Eye pokes are terrible. You know all about my history with the eyes. Eye pokes are bad. If you start taking points, people will stop stretching their f**king fingers out. Then when the third round started, and there was only a minute left, Song Yadong had his fingers out and so did Henry Cejudo, and I’m like, why isn’t the ref saying anything?”
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes Sean Brady is a more difficult matchup for Leon Edwards than Jack Della Maddalena.
In recent developments, UFC boss Dana White took to Instagram and made a massive 14-fight announcement, including main events for the upcoming UFC 314 and UFC 315 cards.
The announcement included a big change to the UFC Fight Night London main event. Originally, Edwards was scheduled to face the No. 4-ranked welterweight Maddalena in London on March 22, 2025. However, after Maddalena’s shift to UFC 315, “Rocky” will face a short-notice replacement in Brady who is coming off consecutive decision wins over Gilbert Burns and Kelvin Gastelum.
Bisping believes this upheaval can make things worse for Edwards who would definitely want to enter the win column after soundly losing his UFC welterweight title to Belal Muhammad.
“Della Maddalena versus Leon—that’s off, and Sean Brady steps in. This is kind of a nightmare situation for Leon Edwards. I’m not saying Leon can’t beat him, but stylistically, and on short notice, this is a very, very different fight and potentially a harder fight than Jack Della Maddalena. Styles make fights. Leon is a sniper on the feet. Of course, he’s got great takedown defense. He was able to take down Kamaru Usman, fully mounted, and all the rest of it, right? We know he’s well-rounded.”
Although Bisping is confident about Edwards’s accurate striking, he is concerned about Brady’s wrestling-heavy style which is very different from Maddalena’s crisp boxing.
“But when you’re training for Jack Della Maddalena and you’re focusing on boxing and pretty much a standup affair, and you’re not really working on the takedown defense and defending chokes and all the variety of madness in the Jiu-Jitsu world that Sean Brady does offer, it’s a big mix-up. Now granted, all the work that he’s done in the past to beat Kamaru Usman, to fight and go up against Belal Muhammad—that’s all in the tank, okay? It’s like if you go out there and you win a fight really, really quickly, and people think, “Why did I bother? Why did I bother training?” No, the reason you did that is because you still leveled up in training camp. Your skill set overall got better.”
Talking about Edward’s previous opponents, Bisping further added how Brady would bring in problems similar to the current champ Muhammad.
“So, Leon’s been preparing for these kinds of fights his entire career, right? Everyone that Leon Edwards fights, whether it’s Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Belal Muhammad—they’re all trying to take him down. So, in a way, nothing changes for him. Yes, it’s not Jack Della Maddalena trying to box him, trying to piece him up on the feet. It’s Sean Brady, who’s very, very good, that dominated Gilbert Burns last time out, that’s going to be looking to take him down. So, it’s the exact same fight, essentially, almost on paper, stylistically, that Leon had in Manchester last year when he lost the belt. That’s why I say it’s a bit of a nightmare.”
However, Bisping is impressed with Edward’s will to accept Brady as a new opponent on short notice even when it could potentially ruin his return to the UFC welterweight title picture.
While Jared Cannonier might be unsure about his next step following Saturday’s result, one former champion thinks he’s got just the idea for the UFC middleweight contender.
Moving forward, “The Killa Gorilla” has admitted that his past results and the landscape of the division leaves him in a tricky position when it comes to rising the ranks.
But during a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Bisping identified a second dance with a top contender that the former champ believes makes perfect sense.
“A rematch five years in the making, I think that makes all the sense in the world,” Bisping said about Cannonier running it back with Robert Whittaker. “Robert would want it because he’d look at it as a good fight to find his mojo, to come back from, to get a win, to get back in the win column, to beat somebody that he’s beaten before.
“And, of course, for Jared Cannonier, at 40 years old, Robert Whittaker is a massive household name in mixed martial arts,” Bisping continued. “Everyone would want to see that fight and it’s a chance for Jared to get that one back.”
Having previously won back-to-back contests opposite Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov, the Australian remains close to the top and will be looking to revive his ongoing title ambitions in 2025.
With that, perhaps a second meeting with Cannonier could be in store. The pair previously did battle at UFC 254 in 2020, with Whittaker’s success on the feet including a broken arm suffered by “The Killa Gorilla” and culminating in a unanimous decision win.
Michael Bisping is intrigued by a potential showdown between UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
The 145-pound titleholder has expressed interest in moving up to challenge Makhachev, who is currently ranked as the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. While acknowledging the Dagestani’s dominance, the former fighter-turned-commentator believes Topuria’s well-rounded skill set could make the fight competitive — despite the size difference.
“That’s an incredible fight,” Bisping told Submission Radio. “Ilia Topuria, what he’s been able to do, what he’s achieved in such a short space — so impressed. The same with Islam. Islam is incredible. Nobody can sit here and criticize Islam. The fight style that he has, the way that he’s able to use his wrestling to such effectiveness. The striking is always improving and catching up.
“But on the flip side, Ilia is a smaller guy, though. So you take two guys with great skill sets — the bigger guy is always going to win. But if anyone could make that happen, it’s Ilia Topuria. The man said what he’s going to do right from the beginning, changed his bio to champion of the world. He’s knocked out (Alexander) Volkanovski. He’s knocked out Max Holloway. He’s knocking out everybody, and apparently, he’s even better at wrestling than he is at boxing.”
Topuria’s stock has skyrocketed following his knockout victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
Meanwhile, Makhachev recently secured his fourth lightweight title defense with a quick submission of Renato Moicano at UFC 311.
Following Michael Page’s victory over Shara Magomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1, Michael Bisping has suggested that Page might be better suited for the middleweight division.
Despite the Brit’s stated intention to return to welterweight, Bisping believes the 185-pound weight class offers more favorable matchups for “MVP.”
The former UFC middleweight champion shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel, highlighting the abundance of wrestlers in the welterweight division as a potential challenge for Page.
“Of course, you’ve got Belal Muhammad, you’ve got Shavkat Rakhmonov that you’d think would definitely wrestle ‘MVP’ if he was to fight him. There’s Kamaru Usman and many, many others.”
Bisping also analyzed Page’s performance against Magomedov, acknowledging his dominance in the fight.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for (Magomedov), but I’ve got to call it like I see it. ‘MVP’ was by far the better man tonight,” Bisping said. “He was the better striker, he was in control, he was dominant, and he was owning the octagon. More importantly, he was frustrating Shara ‘Bullet.’ Shara is a really good striker. He’s very aggressive, and he’s got really fast kicks, but he’s kind of conventional.
“That is why ‘MVP’ probably called him out because he’s seen that style a thousand times. ‘MVP,’ with the traditional sport karate background, with the hands low, with the precision striking, with the one-shot kind of power — ‘MVP’ has seen that style many, many times. But Shara ‘Bullet’ hasn’t seen that style. And not many people who have that style can deliver it and execute it with the precision that Michael ‘Venom’ Page can.”
Page has primarily competed at welterweight throughout his career. While his overall record is impressive, his record at 170 pounds in the UFC stands at 1-1.
He secured a decision victory over Kevin Holland on debut at UFC 299 but later lost to Ian Garry by decision at UFC 303.
Israel Adesanya aimed to get his career back on track in his latest fight but suffered his third consecutive loss after a brutal knockout at the hands of Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event.
The former two-time UFC middleweight champion fell to the rising French contender following previous losses to reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis and ex-titleholder Sean Strickland.
Another former middleweight champ in Michael Bisping acknowledged Adesanya’s achievements in the aftermath but expressed doubts about his ability to reclaim the title.
“The biggest takeaway is that it’s over,” Bisping said on the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight show (h/t MMA Fighting). “Israel Adesanya’s reign as champion, I don’t think will come again. I say that with the greatest of respect, and I truly mean that. An original. An incredible fighter. A legend of the sport. A future Hall of Famer. But his time at the top is done.”
Bisping pointed to the cumulative toll of years of fighting and training as a major factor in his decline.
“A long career at the highest level brings a lot of wear and tear, not just from fights but from training camps,” Bisping explained. “The training camps are worse than the fights. A fight might last a few rounds, and we’ve seen Adesanya dominate opponents with leg kicks and precise striking. But that’s not how training works. You don’t improve unless you’re pushed — getting taken down, wrestling, dealing with ground and pound, getting choked out.
“You tweak ankles, take punches, and endure constant physical strain. When you train at the highest level, it takes its toll. Yes, he’s absorbed some tough shots in the octagon, including tonight, but it’s the years of preparation leading up to this that become the real challenge.”
Adesanya outlined his intention to take some time away from the sport before deciding his next step.
In his return to non-pay-per-view, non-championship assignments after consecutive defeats to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis, “The Last Stylebender” is tasked with stalling the charge of a rising up-and-comer in Nassourdine Imavov.
While his opponent comes into the contest riding momentum from three straight wins, Adesanya plans on showing there’s life in the old dog yet. And former champ Michael Bisping, for one, expects him to do just that.
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Bisping explained why he’s picking the Nigerian-New Zealander to emerge victorious inside anb Arena on Feb. 1.
“More than likely Israel Adesanya gets a decision,” Bisping said. “I think he uses the jab, I think he lowers his base, I think he’s probably pissed off and a little bit embarrassed. Israel Adesanya, when you’re the champion of the world, when you’re defending the belt so many times and you literally think your sh*t don’t stink and you can beat everybody, you do get a little bit embarrassed. Your pride takes a hit when you lose three out of the last four and you see the middleweight division moving along without you.
“Over five rounds, I do believe Israel Adesanya wins via decision,” Bisping continued. “I think he maintains range, keeps his distance, moves around, uses all of the space inside the Octagon, and in Saudi Arabia, Israel Adesanya will be the winner.”
“The Last Stylebender” will hope to prove Bisping’s assessment correct come fight night and taste the winning feeling for the first time since his memorable knockout of Alex Pereira to return to the middleweight throne in April 2023.
Michael Bisping is impressed by the negotiation tactics that UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones appears to be using regarding whether he will fight Tom Aspinall.
Jones is coming off an impressive finish victory over Stipe Miocic. Following the UFC 309 fight last November, UFC CEO Dana White has guaranteed he can make the fight happen this year.
Joe Rogan first noted that he heard “Bones” wanted $30 million for the fight. For ex-UFC middleweight king Bisping, Jones’ plan is coming right along.
“As we know, Jon Jones kind of shied away from fighting Tom Aspinall leading up to the Stipe fight, which was an absolute stroke of genius in terms of marketing, because it drove the demand through the roof, sky high, made it the fight that everybody wants to see,” Bisping said. “Well, guess what? The man is going to get paid properly more than likely. That’s the rumor.”
The last two years have produced a staggering amount of title changes in the UFC. Following the record-tying eleven times that we heard “And New” in 2023, 2024 saw seven fighters capture the gold.
Valentina Shevchenko, Raquel Pennington, Julianna Peña, Merab Dvalishvili, Ilia Topuria, Belal Muhammad and Dricus Du Plessis all got their hands on the most coveted prize in MMA but former champion Michael Bisping believes that 2025 will see less movement. In a recent episode of Fight Week on TNT Sports, Bisping (alongside co-hosts Adam Catterall & Nick Peet) gave his predictions for who will end 2025 as the champion of each division.
He believes that four belts will be held by different competitors in 12-months time. At women’s strawweight, Bisping predicted that Tatiana Suarez will finally realize her true potential by becoming the new champion whether or not she defeats Weili Zhang in the co-main event of UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia this February.
“I’ve got to go with Tatiana Suarez – I did say that this time last year. Of course, she’s fighting Zhang Weili, so we’ll see how that plays out. I just think the wrestling that Tatiana Suarez has is going to cause a lot of problems for a lot of people. This time next year, one way or another, she’ll be the champ.”
Bisping also believes that the women’s bantamweight division will have a new face in the form of Kayla Harrison. The former PFL star has made a huge impact since arriving in the UFC, producing back-to-back wins over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira to put her in title contention.
“The women’s bantamweight champion, there’s only going to be one name in discussion: Kayla Harrison. No offense to Julianna Peña, I think she’s great for the sport, she’s a fun person. She’s fun to sit and watch fights with because she talks a lot of s-h-i-t the whole time. She’s great, but Kayla Harrison, I believe, will be too big, too strong, too good at judo, too mentally strong, too fit. She’ll drag her down, she’ll get the submission, and she’ll also get the belt.”
The middleweight title is also set to be on the line at UFC 312 on February 8 but “The Count” does not see either man in that matchup ending the year on top. He believes that Khamzat Chimaev will become the champion by the end of the year, regardless of who he has to face to finally get his hands on the belt.
“It’s interesting because I’m looking at the rankings here. I never thought we’d see a year where Robert Whittaker wasn’t in the conversation. It just shows the sport is such a cruel mistress. Obviously, Khamzat Chimaev squeezed his teeth out last time, and yeah, I’m gonna have to say Khazmzat. Dricus (Du Plessis) is a tremendous champion. I think him and Sean (Strickland) will have another close fight, but I think regardless, when Khamzat gets his chance, he’ll be victorious. I mean, what he did to Robert Whittaker – I’ll never underestimate that man ever again.”
“If there is an interim champion, it will be Tom Aspinall. However, I don’t think there will be one. I believe that the reason Tom isn’t fighting at London is because Jon Jones–Tom Aspinall will go down. The biggest heavyweight fight the sport has ever seen. Maybe the biggest fight period that this sport has ever seen. Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and when the dust settles, ‘Tommy Aspinall, Aspinall, Tommy Aspinall! Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na!’”
