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Michael Bisping

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Template:MMAstatsbox Michael "Mr. Pringles" Gavin Joseph Bisping (born February 28, 1979 in Cyprus) is an English mixed martial artist (MMA) from Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, and former Cage Rage light heavyweight champion.

Early life

Bisping was born in Cyprus in 1979, but moved to Clitheroe, Lancashire, England when he was a child. Taking an early interest in martial arts, Bisping began training in a traditional form of jujutsu known as Yawara Ryu under Paul Lloyd Davies when he was 8 years old. In 1994, at the age of 15, Bisping competed as an amateur in England's first "no holds barred" competition, a precursor to modern MMA, called Knock Down Sport Budo (KSBO), organized by Davies.

At the age of 18, Bisping decided to abandon his martial arts training in order "to pursue real life". But less than a year later Bisping began training kickboxing and karate on the advice of Alan Clarking, owner of Black Knights gym, who saw potential in the young fighter. Bisping enjoyed a short, but successful, kickboxing career, winning the North West Area title, and later the Pro British light heavyweight kickboxing title. After again briefly quitting competition in 1998, Bisping returned to kickboxing to take the Pro British light heavyweight title for a second time. Soon after winning his second kickboxing title, Bisping was forced to abandon his full-time training for a "real job". Bisping worked in factories, slaughterhouses, as an upholsterer, a postman, a tiler, a plasterer,a double-glazing door salesman, and also a fairly successful DJ around the north-west club scene.

As his days of competition faded away, Bisping grew to miss fighting and training, and in 2003, he tracked down his old coach Paul Lloyd Davies. Davies, who was then coaching at Master Salahs mixed martial arts gym in Manchester, encouraged Bisping to visit his gym, and it was there that Bisping first learned about the new sport of mixed martial arts. After one day of sparring, Davies offered to train and manage Bisping as an MMA fighter.

Mixed martial arts

Bisping made his professional mixed martial arts debut at Pride & Glory 2: Battle of the Ages on April 4, 2004, taking a 0:38 armbar victory over Steve Mathews. Just one month later, Bisping scored his first knockout against John Weir at UK MMA Challenge 7: Rage & Fury. In his third MMA match, Bisping became the Cage Rage light heavyweight champion at Cage Rage 7, defeating Mark Epstein by technical knockout. Bisping went on to defend his championship title in a rematch against Epstein at Cage Rage 9 in a knockout victory that solidified Bisping as one of the top light heavyweight fighters in England. It also earned him the moniker "The Great British Hope", by UFC.com.

At The Ultimate Fight Club UK: Natural Instinct on January 29, 2005, Bisping made his cage kickboxing debut against David Brown in a light heavyweight contest. With Brown badly cut, Bisping picked up the win via medical stoppage in round two.

Bisping, who trains with the Wolfslair MMA Academy, the professional fight team of Cage Warriors, made his debut for the promotion at Ultimate Force on April 30, 2005, defeating Dave Radford to win the vacant Cage Warriors light heavyweight title. Bisping then competed in another light heavyweight cage kickboxing contest, against Cyrille Diabate at CWFC: Strike Force 1 on May 21, 2005, losing to Diabaté via decision after the end of the first extra round. He captured FX3 light-heavyweight title on June 18, 2005 and was reigning on UK's major federations. In his first Cage Warriors title defense, Bisping defeated Miika Mehmet at CWFC: Strike Force 2, on July 16, 2005.

In September 2005, Cage Rage stripped the light heavyweight title from Bisping due to "management issues that Michael currently has", though Cage Warriors however stated that "Bisping was willing to defend his title but is being punished by Cage Rage due to his Wolfslair and Cage Warriors links". Towards the end of 2005, Bisping continued to successfully defend the Cage Warriors title against Jakob Lovstad, and Ross Pointon in the CWFC: Strike Force series of events, leading to a record of 10 wins and no losses.

In a December 2008 interview, Cruiserweight boxer Enzo Maccarinelli said he would be confident of knocking out Bisping if he were to switch from boxing to MMA.

UFC

In early 2006 Bisping was featured on the UFC's The Ultimate Fighter reality television series as a contestant training under Tito Ortiz. He won a preliminary bout against Kristian Rothaermel by TKO, followed by a semi-final win against Ross Pointon by submission after landing a flying knee and a series of strikes. In the finals, Bisping defeated Josh Haynes by TKO at 4:14 into the second round, making Bisping the second light heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter television series.

Five months after his victory in the TUF 3 finals, Bisping was slated to fight Eric Schafer at The Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale, but withdrew because of problems acquiring his visa. The fight was re-scheduled and held on December 30 at UFC 66. Bisping defeated Schafer by TKO at 4:24 in the first round.

On April 21, 2007 Bisping scored a TKO win over Elvis Sinosic at UFC 70 in Manchester, England. Sinosic came out fighting, and Bisping eagerly obliged, firing back before throwing the Australian to the canvas. Bisping then launched a vicious ground and pound attack, opening a cut on Sinosic's forehead. In the second round Bisping was knocked down from a knee. Then Sinosic almost secured a kimura before Bisping reversed and pounded away until Steve Mazzagatti stopped the bout at 1:40 of the second round.

Bisping was a special guest referee at the Cage Warriors events Enter The Wolfslair on March 5, 2005, and CWFC: Strike Force 6 on May 27, 2006.

On September 8, 2007 Bisping faced former Ultimate Fighter 3 rival Matt Hamill in London, England and won a controversial split decision after 3 rounds. Hamill pushed the pace and took Bisping down numerous times in the first two rounds, with Bisping hitting solid strikes and blocking numerous takedown attempts towards the end of the second and in the third round. One judge scored 29-28 for Bisping, another 30-27 for Hamill and the split decision of 29-28 for Bisping as the winner. The American crowd blamed the result on being in Bisping's home country, however the lone British judge voted for Hamill while both American judges scored for Bisping.

Bisping's next match at UFC 78 against fellow Ultimate fighter winner Rashad Evans resulted in his first loss, via split decision - 29-28 29-28 28-29 for Evans. Bisping, admitting he had luck in getting the nod over Hamill, accepted his loss to Evans.

Move to middleweight

After his loss to Rashad Evans, Bisping announced his decision to drop down to the middleweight division, and on April 19th 2008 at UFC 83 Bisping made his debut as a Middleweight against Charles McCarthy. Bisping won by TKO as McCarthy was unable to continue after the first round due to a forearm injury he sustained after receiving an unanswered series of knees and uppercuts from Bisping.

Bisping's next fight, and second at 185 lb (84 kg), was on June 7th 2008 at UFC 85 in London, against Jason Day. Bisping was originally set to face Chris Leben, but Jason Day stepped in as Leben was incarcerated for 35 days and unable to compete. Bisping won the fight in dominant fashion in the first round, securing two takedowns and applying a high paced pressure; it was his second first round TKO in a row.

Bisping headlined UFC 89 on October 18, in a matchup against Chris Leben, who Bisping was supposed to face in UFC 85. Bisping won a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 30-27 (twice), and 29-28 for Bisping. Bisping used effective counter punching in the fight to keep the aggressive Leben at bay. After the fight Leben tested positive for Stanozolol and was suspended for nine months.

After the fight with Leben, Bisping was confirmed as one of the coaches on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. The other coach is American Dan Henderson and they will fight at the end of the show. The fight is set for July 11th, 2009 at Mandalay Bay at UFC 100. The fight will be an eliminator for the UFC Middleweight Championship number one contender spot. Michael had received a high-end Land Rover for being a coach on the show, along with Dan Henderson.

On July 11th at UFC 100, Dan Henderson defeated Michael Bisping in the second round with a flush right hook while the brit was strafing to his left. Bisping seemed tentative on his feet throughout the bout, wary of the power of Henderson's standup. It marked the first occasion Bisping has ever conceded a KO loss, and also his second loss in his MMA career to date.

Personal life

Bisping has two children, with his wife, Rebecca. Bisping's hero is Randy Couture. Michael has family scattered around the globe. He has family in Germany, England, and the United States of America. Bisping is hugely popular in his native UK, winning "Fighter of the Year" ahead of boxer Ricky Hatton in best-selling men's magazine Nuts in 2008. He was also voted "Coolest Man in the UK" by readers of Zoo magazine, beating the likes of Daniel Craig and Noel Gallagher.

Championships & Awards

Cage Rage

Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Championship

FX3

FX3 Light Heavyweight Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighter 3 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner
Fight of the Night Honors

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
19 matches 17 wins 2 losses
By knockout 11 1
By submission 4 0
By decision 2 1
Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 17-2 United States Dan Henderson KTFO (Punch) UFC 100 July 11, 2009 2 3:20 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 17-1 United States Chris Leben Decision (Unanimous) UFC 89 - Bisping vs Leben October 18, 2008 3 5:00 United Kingdom Birmingham, England Chris Leben tested positive for steroids after this fight.
Win 16-1 Canada Jason Day TKO (Punches) UFC 85 - Bedlam June 7, 2008 1 3:42 United Kingdom London, England
Win 15-1 United States Charles McCarthy TKO (Arm Injury) UFC 83 - Serra vs. St. Pierre II April 19, 2008 1 5:00 Canada Montreal, Quebec, Canada UFC Middleweight Debut
Loss 14-1 United States Rashad Evans Decision (Split) UFC 78 - Validation November 17, 2007 3 5:00 United States Newark, NJ, United States
Win 14-0 United States Matt Hamill Decision (Split) UFC 75 - Champion vs. Champion September 8, 2007 3 5:00 United Kingdom London, England
Win 13-0 Australia Elvis Sinosic TKO (Punches) UFC 70 - Nations Collide April 21, 2007 2 1:20 United Kingdom Manchester, England Won Fight of the Night Honors
Win 12-0 United States Eric Schafer TKO (Punches) UFC 66 - Liddell vs Ortiz II December 30, 2006 1 4:24 United States Las Vegas, NV, United States
Win 11-0 United States Josh Haynes TKO (Punches) UFC - Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale June 24, 2006 2 4:14 United States Las Vegas, NV, United States Won The Ultimate Fighter 3 light heavyweight contest
Win 10-0 England Ross Pointon Submission (Armbar) CWFC - Strike Force 4 November 26, 2005 1 2:00 England
Win 9-0 Norway Jakob Lovstad Submission (Strikes) CWFC - Strike Force 3 October 1, 2005 1 1:10 England
Win 8-0 Finland Miika Mehmet TKO (Corner Stoppage) CWFC - Strike Force 2 July 16, 2005 1 3:01 England
Win 7-0 England Alex Cook Submission (Choke) FX3 - Xplosion June 18, 2005 1 3:21 England Won FX3 light heavyweight championship
Win 6-0 England Dave Radford TKO CWFC - Ultimate Force April 30, 2005 1 2:46 England
Win 5-0 England Mark Epstein KO CR 9 - No Mercy November 27, 2004 3 4:43 England
Win 4-0 England Andy Bridges KO P & G 3 - Glory Days August 7, 2004 1 0:45 England
Win 3-0 England Mark Epstein TKO CR 7 - Battle of Britain July 10, 2004 2 1:27 England Won Cage Rage light heavyweight championship
Win 2-0 England John Weir TKO UKMMAC 7 - Rage & Fury May 30, 2004 1 0:50 England
Win 1-0 England Steve Mathews Submission (Armbar) P & G 2 - Battle of the Ages April 10, 2004 1 0:38 England

References

  1. Michael Bisping in profile | Michael Bisping | UFC | MMA | The Ultimate Fighter | The Sun |Sport|UFC
  2. ^ Michael Bisping
  3. Pedro Wrobel (2005). "Cage Rage Champ Bisping Eyes Bright Future". Sherdog. Retrieved 2006-09-17.
  4. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/2311234/My-Sport-Michael-Bisping.html
  5. Michael Bisping - The Count - Tapout
  6. UFC : Ultimate Fighting Championship
  7. Cage Rage (2005). "Cage Rage strips "The Count" Mike Bisping of his Cage Rage British Light-Heavyweight Title". www.cagerage.tv. Retrieved September 17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. Cage Warriors (2005). "CWFC Statement Concerning Mike Bisping". www.cagewarriors.com. Retrieved September 17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. Bisping Defends CageWarriors Title, Izidro Wins Belt
  10. http://www.talkboxing.co.uk/blog/2008/12/maccarinelli-keen-to-join-ultimate-fighting-championship/
  11. Schafer-Bisping is Off - MMA on Tap
  12. Bisping beats Eric Schafer | The Sun |Sport|UFC
  13. UFC 70 Results and Action Photo Gallery
  14. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=5516
  15. http://www.alanorr.com/htdocs/articles/ufc70.html
  16. http://ufcscene.com/news/ufc-78-analysis-picks/
  17. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=5516
  18. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=5516
  19. cage Warriors (2006). "Michael "The Count" Bisping To Referee At Strike Force 6". www.cagewarriors.com. Retrieved September 17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  20. UFC: Evans wins split decision over Bisping
  21. UFC (2007). "Count's move gives middleweights new blood". www.ufc.com. Retrieved December 14th. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  22. Bisping fells "Chainsaw" Charles in first round knockout - Clitheroe Today
  23. BISPING VS LEBEN AT UFC 89 IN BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MMA WEEKLY - Mixed Martial Arts & UFC News, Photos, Rankings & more
  24. Michael Bisping beats Jason Day at UFC 85|MMA|Mixed Martial Arts| | The Sun |Sport|UFC
  25. http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6613&zoneid=13
  26. BISPING VS LEBEN AT UFC 89 IN BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MMA WEEKLY - Mixed Martial Arts & UFC News, Photos, Rankings & more
  27. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/ufc-89-play-by-play-14826
  28. http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7386&zoneid=2
  29. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27523083/
  30. http://mmajunkie.com/news/13153/report-failed-ufc-89-drug-test-nets-chris-leben-nine-month-suspension.mma
  31. http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7383&zoneid=13
  32. http://mmajunkie.com/news/13036/michael-bisping-in-as-tuf9-coach-dan-henderson-and-rich-franklin-possible.mma
  33. http://www.setanta.com/uk/Articles/other-sports/2009/02/20/UFC-Dana-White-confirms-many-fights/gnid-41192/
  34. http://www.wilmslowexpress.co.uk/entertainment/magazine/s/603726_a_bit_about__michael_bisping
  35. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/go/tag/view/blog_post/Michael%20Bisping
  36. http://www.newstin.co.uk/rel/uk/en-010-008970759

External links

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