MMA

MICHAEL BISPING was staring at prison ceiling walls when he mapped out a plan to follow in Nigel Benn’s footsteps by joining the army as a boxer. British legend Benn served four years in the forces after signing up aged 18 to avoid a life of crime.
Nigel Benn served four years in the forcesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Michael Bisping with his UFC titleCredit: Getty
He then turned professional after a successful amateur career in the army and became of of the nation’s most celebrated fighters.
So when Bisping found himself in a maximum security prison in his early 20s for a bar fight, he looked to Benn for inspiration.
He told SunSport: “I started thinking, ‘What am I going to do?’
“I kept coming back to fighting, I tired to join the army to become a professional boxer, to go down the same path as Nigel Benn.
“But that never happened. Then, slowly and surely I came up with this crazy plan to be a mixed martial artist.”
Bisping, who competed in kickboxing and jujitsu, was no criminal growing up in Clitheroe, Lancashire, but admitted to getting into one too many scraps on the street.

One such brawl saw him jailed for a month, all while his wife Rebecca was seven months pregnant.
It was at that moment, Bisping ‘hit rock bottom’ and realised his life had to change there and then.
Speaking while on his evening with tour in the UK, he said: “I left school at 16 and I thought I had it all figured out.
“And then you soon come to find out there’s not much call for uneducated, unqualified 16-year-olds.
“I soon figured out life wasn’t going anywhere, money was tight, I was broke all the time and I was sick of that.
“Of course, I was young and I was an idiot, going out and getting into fights and things like that and I’m not proud of that phase in my life.
Michael Bisping competed in kickboxing and jujitsu growing up
The future UFC legend, left, aged 21 with his brother Konrad
“I ended up going to prison, and that was when I hit rock bottom. I was sat in prison and looked around and I was surrounded by the dregs of society.
“I said to myself, ‘Wow, is this it? Is this what my life has come to? I need to make a change’.”
Bisping made his MMA debut in 2004 in Newcastle, at a time when the UFC were considering selling with the sport failing to hit the mainstream.
That was Stateside, meaning the landscape was even worse in Britain.
Bisping, now 42, remembers: “Those days were the Wild West, it’s certainly come on a long way now.
“The scene looked a lot different then, now it’s a lot more professional.
“Sometimes you’d show up at shows in the early days and there would be no doctors, or no ambulance crew or anything like that.
Michael Bisping made his MMA debut in 2004
He admits the early days of MMA in the UK were ‘Wild West’
“The health and safety rules were not exactly adhered too, shall we say. Opponents getting switched out on the day.
“I’ll be honest, that was part of the appeal, as well, it was fun, it was gritty, it was raw.
“And we all felt like we were a part of something that was going to explode and be big.”
Bisping was right, and the sport did explode, thanks in large to the debut of the UFC’s reality TV series The Ultimate Fighter, which first aired in 2005.
A year later, Bisping was invited to compete in third season and eventually won it, booking his way into the UFC, where he stayed until retirement.
The middleweight then capped off a rollercoster career in 2016, knocking out rival Luke Rockhold to finally win the UFC title.
Luke Rockhold was knocked out by Michael Bisping in their rematchCredit: 2016 Zuffa LLC
Michael Bisping lifts the UFC belt aloftCredit: Zuffa LLC – Getty
Bisping, who only fought Rockhold on two weeks notice, then made one homecoming defence against Dan Henderson.
He lost the title to UFC legend Georges St-Pierre in 2017 and retired after his next fight, a loss to Kelvin Gastelum.
Bisping remains the only British UFC champion and a huge player in catipulting the sport to new heights in the UK.
It is a far cry from his early underground days, which helped pave the way for the most iconic UFC career in British history.
Bisping said: “Now, to see where it’s gone since I was involved in the early days, it’s amazing to see and to think I was a little part of that, to help it grow, I am proud of that.
“I didn’t even know the sport existed, but I was 100 per cent in, there was no back up plan. I stayed the course and it all panned out.” 

Catch An Evening with Michael Bisping: Tales from the Octagon this October in the UK, tickets from myticket.co.Uk

Michael Bisping is the greatest British UFC fighter in historyCredit: 2016 Zuffa LLC More

JAKE PAUL believes rival Tyron Woodley has found a loophole in his tattoo as the UFC legend demands a rematch.The former welterweight champion, 39, was outpointed against the YouTuber in their boxing bout in August.
Jake Paul outpointed Tyron Woodley in their boxing bout in Ohio in AugustCredit: Getty
Woodley took to social media at the end of last month after getting his ‘I love Jake Paul’ tattooCredit: Instagram / @twooodley
Following the dust-up in Ohio, Paul declared that he would fight the MMA icon again as long as Woodley had ‘I love Jake Paul’ inked on his body.
The pair had made a bet prior Paul’s split decision victory in their contest that the loser would get a tattoo of the victor’s name.
And Woodley finally got the tattoo at the end of September, where he instantly called for a rematch after getting it done on the inside of his middle finger.
But Paul, 24, has stated that Woodley may cover up the tattoo, and has explained his theory of why he got inked.
He told talkSPORT: “Let’s see what happens. He was like three or four weeks late on the tattoo, he let the hype die down.
“I think he had a call with his accountants and he saw how much taxes he had to pay and he was like ‘oh, man, I need to get this tattoo right now.’

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“The weird thing about it, and I’m saying this on record right now, is the tattoo is on his middle finger and it’s done in a way where he can change it to say ‘f*** Jake Paul’.
“He did it so the I looks like an F or could be changed to that, so I think personally he’s going to change it to say ‘f*** Jake Paul’ on his middle finger.
“It goes perfectly with that, so I’m calling it out right now.
“He’s trying to find loopholes and be slick but he’s not as smart as he thinks he is.”
Paul has also been heavily linked with a fight against Tommy Fury, with the unbeaten Brit rejecting a $1million offer from the American.
And Fury’s brother Tyson has urged the pair to ‘get some balls’ and agree to a bout.
Asked for his thoughts on the potential fight between the feuding youngsters, Fury told Behind The Gloves: “Hopefully it happens.

“I hope they can both get some balls and sign the f***ing contract.
“Make this fight happen and give the world the fight they want to see.
“I want to see it. Everybody wants to see this fight.” More

MICHAEL BISPING has enjoyed the most famous MMA career in British history – but now watches on as a fan at heart. The British legend, who retired in 2018, is now developing a fledging commentary and punditry career post-fighting.
UFC legend and now commentator Michael BispingCredit: Getty
He is working for the UFC as an analyst and dipping his toes into the boxing world for BT Sports.
So it puts him in a good position to lay out five fights across the two sports that fans must see.
Bisping, talking to SunSport ahead of a tour later this month, picks the best of the bunch.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
MB: It just shows the problems with boxing, it’s so unpredictable. 
Oleksandr Usyk was unbelievable, he was absolutely fantastic and he outboxed Anthony Joshua, who had a terrible game plan and approach. 
Hopefully he comes back and beats Usyk in the rematch and then we get Tyson Fury versus Joshua, that’s one that everyone wants to see.
(Although, after that I think Tyson Fury would handle that pretty easily, but, you never know).
Tyson Fury and heavyweight rival Antony Joshua

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Jorge Masvidal vs Leon Edwards 
I think we are going to get this. 
And we remember back in 2019, Masvidal hit him with the ‘Three Piece and a Soda’.
Come on, that one is way overdue. 
Leon Edwards and UFC welterweight rival Jorge Masvidal
Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou 
That’s a classic, Jones against anyone in the heavyweight division. 
Of course, he got in trouble again recently, and I hope that he figures it out and exercises his demons, because he’s obviously got some stuff going on there. 
He needs to stay away from alcohol, he needs to figure that out sadly and get back to the octagon. 
UFC legend Jon Jones and heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou vs Stipe Miocic 3
Jones versus Stipe would also be amazing. 
But, I’d also like to see Stipe versus Ngannou, the rubber match.
Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou are 1-1 togetherCredit: Reuters
Conor McGregor vs Tony Ferguson
For Conor McGregor coming back and fighting Dustin Poirier for the third time in a row, when he got knocked out and his leg snapped like a little twig, I don’t think that’s good. 
I think he needs a build up fight, a comeback fight. You don’t know if he’s going to be the same. 
Here’s one I’d say, for McGregor’s comeback fight, I’d say the perfect person is Tony Ferguson. 
Tony Ferguson’s had a little bit of a fall from grace recently and it looks like things might be going down for him. 
He’s very hit-able and he’s got a name value, I think Ferguson versus McGregor makes a lot sense. 
Michael Bisping wants Tony Ferguson to fight Conor McGregor
Jake Paul vs Anyone who can box
I’d like to see Jake Paul go up against someone in the UFC.
I’d also like him to fight a boxer, if I’m completely honest, but there’s plenty of people in the UFC roster that could whoop Jake Paul with great ease. 
I would beat the s*** out of Jake Paul with one eye and I haven’t stepped foot in a ring for a very, very long time. 
There’s plenty of others, Masvidal would take care of him pretty easily. Nate Diaz would take care of him, Poirier too. 
That’s without getting into the heavier weight classes, they’re all lighter weights. But fair play to Jake Paul, what he’s doing is great.
Tyron Woodley was beaten by YouTuber Jake PaulCredit: Getty

Catch An Evening with Michael Bisping: Tales from the Octagon this October in the UK, tickets from myticket.co.Uk More