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Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping recently disclosed a desired matchup that unfortunately never came to fruition.
'The Count' commenced his journey in the octagon in 2006 with a first-round knockout triumph over Eric Schafer. His ascent culminated in making history as Britain's first UFC champion, achieving this milestone by knocking out rival Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 in June 2016 to secure the middleweight belt.
Michael Bisping continued to solidify his legacy by successfully defending the title on home turf in Manchester, where he bested Dan Henderson. The 44-year-old Brit's illustrious career also boasted a significant victory over the legendary Anderson Silva. He earned a well-deserved place in the prestigious UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Despite his illustrious career, Michael Bisping never had the opportunity to face fellow UFC Hall of Famer Rich Franklin in the octagon. Bisping recently responded to a fan's question on X (formerly Twitter), revealing the one fight he wished for in his career that never materialized.
Bisping mentioned Franklin as the desired opponent that he never got to face.
"Always wanted to fight Rich Franklin back in the day. Only cos he was one of the top dogs back then."
Check out Bisping's post below:
Rich Franklin entered the UFC as a light heavyweight in 2003 at UFC 42: SUDDEN IMPACT, securing a first-round TKO victory over Evan Tanner. Following a successful start with three consecutive wins, the 49-year-old American went on to headline the inaugural live network cable show of the UFC, 'The Ultimate Fighter 1', where he faced Ken Shamrock in the finale.
'Ace' triumphed over Shamrock via first-round TKO, propelling him to a title shot for a rematch against then-middleweight champion Tanner at UFC 53: HEAVY HITTERS. Franklin ultimately secured victory via a doctor's stoppage in the fourth round.
Michael Bisping stands by Jon Jones amid calls for title stripping
Michael Bisping has supported the UFC's decision not to compel Jon Jones to relinquish his heavyweight title.
The UFC is set to return to Madison Square Garden with a fight card featuring two world title matchups. While the main event was initially slated to be Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, a torn pectoral muscle forced Jones out, leading to Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall fighting in the UFC 295 co-main event for the interim heavyweight title on short notice.
Jones is not expected to return until mid-2024, and his first fight back is likely to be a rescheduled title bout against Miocic. Despite this, some have questioned the UFC's use of an interim championship instead of having 'Bones' vacate to simplify the division's status.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Michael Bisping dismissed the idea that Jon Jones should be required to relinquish his 265-pound title:
"When people get injured, they bring in interim belts. People don’t get stripped, generally, they bring in interim belts. So, I don’t know why all of a sudden Jon Jones of all people, the greatest of all time, why should the rules not apply to the greatest of all time. If anything, they should definitely apply. So, anybody that thinks he should be stripped, they’re talking out of their backside. They don’t know what they are talking about."
Check out Bisping's comments below:
