"It's impossible not to be a fan" - Michael Bisping reveals why he trash-talked before his fight against Anderson Silva in 2016

Michael Bisping recently revealed why he trash-talked Anderson Silva ahead of their fight in 2016 despite being a fan of the Brazilian legend.

Bisping and Silva fought in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in London in 2016. 'The Count' was originally slated to clash against Gegard Mousassi. However, the UFC changed opponents for Bisping and he faced 'The Spider' instead.

While talking on his show, the Brit revealed that he is a fan of Silva and it's impossible not to be one. He said:

"I'm a fan of Anderson Silva. I think everyone watching this is a fan of Anderson Silva. The career that he had. The knockouts that he showed, the submissions also and just how humble he was, how he carried himself. It's impossible not to be a fan."

Michael Bisping stated that had he gone into the fight admiring Silva, he wouldn't have been able to fight at his best. He said:

"But I could not allow myself to go into that octagon, looking at Anderson Silva, the man, the myth, the legend, the long time middleweight champion of the world, the man that wowed audiences all over the world."

He added:

"I couldn't do that, because if I did that, I would be giving him too much respect and I would not fight to the best of my ability. So, that is where trash talk comes in. Listen, I hate that term. It is extremely cringe, right?"

Watch Michael Bisping talk about Anderson Silva:

Bisping further added that he wanted to trash-talk Silva and take him off his pedestal.

Silva tested positive for steroid abuse after his fight against Nick Diaz. 'The Count' used that as a point to tarnish 'The Spider'. Here's what he added:

"I'm stripping him down. I am taking him off his pedestal. I can't allow myself to look at him up there, at the pedestal, as the great Anderson Silva."

Bisping eventually managed to earn a decision win in that fight after almost getting knocked out by Silva.

Watch the best moments of Silva vs. Bisping:

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Michael Bisping fought for the title after defeating Anderson Silva

Bisping put himself in a good spot after his win against a bonafide legend like Anderson Silva. Back then, Chris Weidman had to pull out of his UFC 199 rematch against then champion Luke Rockhold. Hence, the Brit stepped in on short notice for his own rematch against Rockhold.

Watch the best moments of Rockhold vs. Silva 2:

He pulled off a huge upset and earned a first-round knockout finish to finally get his hands on the elusive UFC gold. To add to his credit, he achieved the feat with only one functional eye.

Michael Bisping announced his retirement from the sport after his 2017 knockout loss to Kelvin Gastelum.