#2 Michael Bisping celebrates with his family
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Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping (30-7) is the current UFC MW champion with an MMA base of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), boxing, karate and kickboxing. He enjoyed a short but successful career as a kickboxer before transitioning to MMA. Luke Rockhold (15-3) is a former Strikeforce and UFC MW champion with an MMA base of judo, wrestling and BJJ.
During his time at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), Rockhold transformed himself into a well-rounded MMA fighter with a vaunted kickboxing game. After dethroning the previously-undefeated Chris Weidman at UFC 194, Rockhold was widely touted as the future of the MW division.
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Rockhold was scheduled to rematch Weidman at UFC 199, however, after Weidman pulled out from the fight due to injury, Bisping stepped in to face Rockhold on 17 days notice. Rockhold had previously faced Bisping in Australia in 2014, submitting him with a one-armed guillotine choke after dropping him with a head-kick.
MMA pundits and fans alike looked at this as Bisping’s lifetime achievement award and touted it as ‘The Count’s’ farewell fight. Bisping was filming for a Hollywood movie when he got the call for the fight and entered the Octagon as a huge underdog.
When the Octagon door slammed shut Bisping found his range and dropped Rockhold with a huge left hook. He followed up with another left hook on his stunned opponent knocking Rockhold out and winning the MW strap.
Bisping went berserk for a while pointing to his downed opponent, who had constantly berated him in the brief lead-up to their fight. Bisping then proceeded to celebrate his victory and pose for photographs with his family and team, hugging his wife Rebecca and their three children.
He went on to deliver an excellent post-fight speech inside the Octagon, explaining how an average guy like himself made it to the top in such a tough and dangerous sport. Bisping proved that hard-work, commitment and perseverance pay off.
A true underdog story featuring a middling veteran fighter achieving his life-long dream after more than a decade in the UFC, has landed ‘The Count’ the second spot on our list.
