It's hard to believe that Michael Bisping has been competing in the UFC for over ten years. The brash Brit made his Octagon debut in 2006, battering Josh Haynes in the Ultimate Fighter 3 finale to secure a contract with MMA's premiere promotion.
Bisping soon became the UFC's poster boy for British MMA, spearheading the organisation into uncharted territories in Manchester, London and Birmingham. The Lancastrian proved to be an international success but struggled to break out as a championship star.
Bisping seemed destined to be the title contender that never quite was, losing to the divisional elite when it mattered the most. Fans and fighters labelled Bisping the ultimate gatekeeper, but the former Cage Rage and Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion continued to pursue his dream.
Bisping's dream came true earlier this year when he knocked out the highly touted Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 to become the first British champion in the company's history. Not only was it a historic achievement, but Bisping did it on short notice at 37 years old.
While most fighters reach their athletic prime in their late twenties and early thirties, Bisping's head boxing coach Jason Parillo believes the newly-crowned champ is only just realizing his potential.
"Mike is really peaking in his career," Parillo said to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour at 3:16:12 (h/t Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting). "Not just in training, in this training camp, but his career is really peaking and everybody peaks at different times.
"Some guys are the best when they're in their twenties. A lot of guys peak at different times and Mike's really come together mentally, physically, and emotionally. He brings it in and he's a champion now, and I really do believe he's peaking, and I think he's going to keep showing that for the next handful of fights."
Undefeated on home soil, Bisping will bring the UFC back to Manchester at UFC 204 on October 8. The Ultimate Fighter winner will defend his middleweight title in a rematch with Dan Henderson in the main event. 'Hendo', 46, knocked Bisping out in devastating fashion at UFC 100.