UFC 199 hosted a special night that saw Michael Bisping achieve a 10-year endeavor.
Once again, the UFC middleweight strap exchanged waists. Last December we saw Luke Rockhold become the UFC middleweight champion as he beat down Chris Weidman in the co-main event of UFC 194. An immediate rematch was scheduled for June 4th in Los Angeles, California at The Forum, but a neck injury and subsequent surgery forced Weidman out just two weeks prior to the bout. This resulted in a mad scramble to find a suitable replacement to fight Rockhold for the middleweight belt.
Previous number one contender Yoel Romero, 7-0 in the UFC, technically should have been the guy to call if it weren’t for a failed drug test which resulted in a 6-month suspension. This made former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, 6-1 in the UFC, the ideal candidate. Unfortunately for Souza, who was just coming off a first round stoppage win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 198, he was unable to replace Weidman citing a meniscus injury.
In stepped #5 ranked Michael Bisping, who lost to Luke Rockhold via second round submission in the Fall of 2014. As a huge underdog, many saw virtually no way for Bisping to win the fight. However, we all saw what happened – a beautiful left hook to the chin in the first round stunned the over-confident champion. A follow-up left hook to the dazed Californian forced the stoppage and crowned Bisping the UFC middleweight champion.
Now with Bisping as the champion, a whole new set of possibilities are on the table. Let’s break down what could be next:
Immediate Rematch with Luke Rockhold
While this may be an unpopular option amongst fans, it’s something that we should stay open-minded about because of how many immediate rematches the UFC has booked in the past. When there’s a big, high-profile upset, an immediate rematch generally means big business. If the UFC can book Bisping vs. Rockhold III soon, then I think there’s a possibility that it will happen. The animosity between Bisping and Rockhold is not gone, in fact, it is thicker than ever before. Based on the tension at the post-fight press conference, the UFC has more than enough fuel to justify a trilogy.
‘Jacare’ Souza
As I mentioned earlier, Souza was the first name that the UFC contacted to have replace Chris Weidman which leads me to believe Souza is the uncrowned #1 contender right now. It’s unknown when Souza will be healthy to fight again, but many see Souza as the man to challenge for the UFC middleweight title next based on merits. Bisping commented during the post-fight press conference that he’d be honored to fight Souza, and it’s a match up that hardcore fans like myself could get behind – but would it sell? Now that Bisping is approaching star-like levels of popularity (especially in Europe), I wouldn’t be surprised if the UFC opted for a “bigger” fight after going through some of the other options.
Chris Weidman
Let’s not forget about this guy – former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He was granted the immediate rematch against Rockhold, and while that never came to fruition, one could argue that he should still get a title shot when he’s healthy. Obviously, the stipulations were that he’d be fighting Luke Rockhold and not Michael Bisping, but a potential Bisping vs Weidman fight at Madison Square Garden has magnitude that the UFC may not be able to ignore. It was reported that Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor are unlikely to be appearing on the MSG card (UFC 205), so that leaves Jon Jones as the only major star to be able to carry it. I think it would be wise to have a back up plan in case that doesn’t work out; Bisping vs Weidman as a co-headliner to Jon Jones is a sound option too.
Anderson Silva
Believe it or not, a rematch between Anderson Silva and Michael Bisping has picked up a little bit of traction. Bisping defeated Silva despite being nearly finished in their competitive five round epic last February. A rematch between the two would definitely be a big fight, and the thought of Anderson Silva recapturing UFC gold would solidify one of the most dramatic careers in MMA. While I’m not entirely behind this fight, I certainly wouldn’t complain if it was booked.
