Michael Bisping Says A Win Over Vitor Belfort Should Make Him The #1 Contender
Posted by Joseph Lee on 12.18.2012
He has to win first...
In an interview with AXS TV's Inside MMA (via MMA Junkie), Michael Bisping (23-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) says that if he defeats Vitor Belfort (21-10 MMA, 10-6 UFC) at UFC on FX 7 in Brazil (Beflort's home country), he should be the #1 contender to Anderson Silva's (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) middleweight title. Here are highlights:
On wanting a title fight: "For me, Christmas is coming late this year. Normally, it's Dec. 25, (but) for me, Christmas is going to be Jan. 19 when I go down to Brazil, beat the living snot out of Vitor Belfort and take my title fight, my rightly deserved title fight, my long overdue title fight."
On not hearing anything about getting a title opportunity: "I haven't personally heard anything from Dana or the UFC. I heard him on the weekend say I'd probably get a shot at Silva if I beat Belfort. I honestly believe that I would deserve it. In my mind, Vitor Belfort is the hardest fight in the middleweight division outside of Anderson Silva. My last fight was against Brian Stann. Before that, it was a controversial loss against Chael Sonnen. Before that, I hadn't lost a fight since 2009. So if I beat Vitor, I think I definitely deserve a shot, I'm definitely the No. 1 contender and I'll look forward to facing Anderson."
On what he would do against Silva: "Anderson is, rightly so, regarded as the pound-for-pound best. What can I do? I've never gotten in with him – I don't know. (But) I believe in myself, I believe in my skills, I believe in my training, I believe in my ferocity as a fighter. I'll get in there and I'll fight him. I certainly ain't going to fall down like some of these bums have done lately."
The event takes place on January 19 at the Ginasio Estadual Geraldo Jose de Almeida, also known as Ginasio do Ibirapuera, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The main card airs on FX after preliminary fights on FUEL TV and Facebook.
