Even Michael Bisping knows that the fights he’s been talking about lately aren’t against the most deserving title contenders. The current UFC middleweight champion is coming off a stunning (but controversial) bout against Dan Henderson at UFC 204. It was a fight that made all the sense in the world for the narrative arc of Bisping’s career, but didn’t much reflect the reality of the modern middleweight division.
Now, with recent talk about a potential fight with Georges St-Pierre, or even a hypothetical bout with Nick Diaz being floated, Bisping took some time on his SiriusXM radio show - The Countdown with Michael Bisping - to clear the air on what he’s looking for in terms of future bouts (transcript via MMA Fighting).
"All the other middleweights [are] basically saying I'm looking for easy fights,” Bisping said, in reference to his own stated desire for high paying bouts with GSP and Nick Diaz, “which is pissing me off because of course Henderson wasn't the rightful No. 1 contender, the UFC offered me that fight. And Georges St-Pierre isn't the rightful No. 1 contender but he was the one talking to me for the fight. I'm not out here looking for easy pickings...
"I'll fight anybody as long as it makes sense business-wise. I'm not gonna risk my reputation and my title against some chump, but if there's a lot of money on the line, then I'll do it. And if Nick Diaz wants to go at UFC 206, formally, officially, I invite you to sign the bout agreement. Let's do it. And then after that, whoever wins more impressively of the top four middleweights- Rockhold, Weidman, Yoel, and Souza, I'll fight after this. That will happen. 100%.
"Believe you me, I want to fight Chris Weidman. Out of the four of them - I've already beat Rockhold - Weidman is the one I want to fight."
The champ continued, “It ain’t my responsibility to look after the entire UFC roster. I’m looking after Michael Bisping and Michael Bisping’s family.” And while that may end up meaning a fight with one of the division’s top contenders, that may also mean a lot more talk about potential big money superfights whenever the opportunities arise.