If Michael Bisping had the balls to fight Ronaldo Souza.

[The Natural Born Runner]

See if Michael actually had the balls to take a threatening title defense then he could have proven that against Jacare and his stock would be through the fucking roof.

Can you just imagine it?

He beats Anderson and 99% of the MMA audience were stunned. How did this gatekeeper just beat the GOAT over 5 rounds, how is this even happening!? Still through that there were naysayers who made excuses and claims that the fight should have been stopped at the end of the third round, and some even gave Anderson 3 rounds, which I just could not make sense of.

Next up is a short notice fight with the man who just ran over Chris Weidman. Luke Rockhold was not only on fire, but he beat Mike with relative ease before, no way could Mike win this. Not only does Mike shock the world with a victory, but he knocks Luke Rockhold stiff within the first round of the fight. The world shook at it's core.

Bad match-making or not, he then faces his arch nemesis in Dan Henderson. Dan had already knocked him out with one of the most brutal KO's in MMA history, but Michael beat him over 5 rounds. The hate still came, with claims of Henderson winning 3 rounds.

Can you just imagine if Michael had then fought Souza, and won like Whittaker did!? What excuse would we all have then? He would genuinely be one of the greatest fighters to have lived, with a run of Silva, Rockhold, Henderson and Souza, in the back 9 of his career.

Instead he wants to duck Souza, Romero, Mousasi, Rockhold etc. and wants to fight a retired Welterweight, for a big payday to ride off into the sunset. Henderson was your free fight, you don't get another one!

Wasted opportunity for the legacy of Michael Bisping.

 

[Drake]

Blame the UFCircus. I don't think Mike is one to turn down fights...he takes whatever they give him. I mean shit, let's not forget that he fought TRTitor in Brazil!
& why not a big payday towards the end of his career? Then there would be threads asking that question & saying he ducked GSP too... When you're a personality like Michael, people are going to hate on him no matter how things play out.

 

[Hotora86]

This is what you get with the new UFC strategy of "superfights". Champions vs Big Draws, moving up and down in weight, only to make fights that will SELL. Legit contenders who are "boring" or lacking a large fanbase can go straight to Bellator or ACB.

Hell, I thought Machida had a tough climb to the UFC LHW belt in 2007-2009 but if the UFC was run back then how it is run today he'd still be an undefeated "gatekeeper" fighting noobs on undercards. Because "boring".

 

[SherdogGoat]

I think most people wanted him to fight Romero. And he will get his shit pushed in by Romero. Also, just because Whittaker did what he did to Jacare doesn't mean Bisping would have been too though there is a possibility he could have, given his stellar TDD. I'd pick Whittaker over Bisping too.

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

I think most people wanted him to fight Romero. And he will get his shit pushed in by Romero. Also, just because Whittaker did what he did to Jacare doesn't mean Bisping would have been too though there is a possibility he could have, given his stellar TDD. I'd pick Whittaker over Bisping too.

I'm totally with you on that one, I don't necessarily think Mike would have beaten Souza, but Whittaker and Bisping have similar styles (not carbon copies, but similar).

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

This is what you get with the new UFC strategy of "superfights". Champions vs Big Draws, moving up and down in weight, only to make fights that will SELL. Legit contenders who are "boring" or lacking a large fanbase can go straight to Bellator or ACB.

Hell, I thought Machida had a tough climb to the UFC LHW belt in 2007-2009 but if the UFC was run back then how it is run today he'd still be an undefeated "gatekeeper" fighting noobs on undercards. Because "boring".

I legit LOL'd at your last statement around "because 'boring'".

So true though, so, so true.

 

[ssc280]

Can't really blame Bisping for wanting the huge payday, nobody is that interested in him vs Jacare and if he loses, there goes the payday. Would beating Jacare really raise his stock much more than where it already is?

 

[Megatronlee]

His stock would be the same. People make up reasons to discredit him. Mike could go to 205 and KO rumble and people would say "did rumbles chin deteriate from years of weight cuts?"

 

[thobra]

See if Michael actually had the balls to take a threatening title defense then he could have proven that against Jacare and his stock would be through the fucking roof.

Can you just imagine it?

He beats Anderson and 99% of the MMA audience were stunned. How did this gatekeeper just beat the GOAT over 5 rounds, how is this even happening!? Still through that there were naysayers who made excuses and claims that the fight should have been stopped at the end of the third round, and some even gave Anderson 3 rounds, which I just could not make sense of.

Next up is a short notice fight with the man who just ran over Chris Weidman. Luke Rockhold was not only on fire, but he beat Mike with relative ease before, no way could Mike win this. Not only does Mike shock the world with a victory, but he knocks Luke Rockhold stiff within the first round of the fight. The world shook at it's core.

Bad match-making or not, he then faces his arch nemesis in Dan Henderson. Dan had already knocked him out with one of the most brutal KO's in MMA history, but Michael beat him over 5 rounds. The hate still came, with claims of Henderson winning 3 rounds.

Can you just imagine if Michael had then fought Souza, and won like Whittaker did!? What excuse would we all have then? He would genuinely be one of the greatest fighters to have lived, with a run of Silva, Rockhold, Henderson and Souza, in the back 9 of his career.

Instead he wants to duck Souza, Romero, Mousasi, Rockhold etc. and wants to fight a retired Welterweight, for a big payday to ride off into the sunset. Henderson was your free fight, you don't get another one!

Wasted opportunity for the legacy of Michael Bisping.

Fighting Jacare for the honor and glory, instead of making tons of money fighting legends? Make a good life for your family or make internet forum posters happy?

That is a huge dilemma... or is it?

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

Blame the UFCircus. I don't think Mike is one to turn down fights...he takes whatever they give him. I mean shit, let's not forget that he fought TRTitor in Brazil!
& why not a big payday towards the end of his career? Then there would be threads asking that question & saying he ducked GSP too... When you're a personality like Michael, people are going to hate on him no matter how things play out.

Ducking GSP would make zero sense though, you'd be the biggest hater in the world if you think fighting Souza or Romero is ducking the vaunted Middleweight giant which is Georges St. Pierre.

I didn't think that Mike was the type to turn down fights either, but getting the PPV points and the belt changes people. There is absolutely no doubt that if he said "I want Yoel", that they would have made it happen. You know what, I wouldn't have wanted this fight, but even if he gave Luke a rematch it would have been more commendable that this bollocks.

Michael is ducking plain and simple, he doesn't want to lose and if he does lose, he wants maximum profit.

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

Fighting Jacare for the honor and glory, instead of making tons of money fighting legends? Make a good life for your family or make internet forum posters happy?

That is a huge dilemma... or is it?

Yeah because he's not loaded already is he? He hasn't already got a FOX job either, which will clearly keep the money flowing after retirement.

Also, what on earth gives Mike this golden ticket? Is Mike a huge draw? Is he a proven PPV headliner? I don't think so.

Why is it accepted for these champions to sit back and cherry-pick fights?

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

Can't really blame Bisping for wanting the huge payday, nobody is that interested in him vs Jacare and if he loses, there goes the payday. Would beating Jacare really raise his stock much more than where it already is?

Why has it become okay to do this?

You win one big fight and now you'll hold the audience to ransom?

It's absolutely ridiculous, how can we even call this a sport anymore if this is the case?

Oh he deserves the payday, boo hoo!

You won a fucking last minute replacement fight, and now you're acting like you're the money fight. How many PPV's has Michael Bisping headlined and how many of them have done a number over 400k in buys?

Probably zero!

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

His stock would be the same. People make up reasons to discredit him. Mike could go to 205 and KO rumble and people would say "did rumbles chin deteriate from years of weight cuts?"

That's bullshit and you know it.

 

[thobra]

Yeah because he's not loaded already is he? He hasn't already got a FOX job either, which will clearly keep the money flowing after retirement.

Also, what on earth gives Mike this golden ticket? Is Mike a huge draw? Is he a proven PPV headliner? I don't think so.

Why is it accepted for these champions to sit back and cherry-pick fights?

Seriously?
So when Dana made money selling his share of the UFC, he should just start doing charity work for peanuts, because he is ritch already? He should stop caring about himself or his family, his children and grandchildren, because he is already loaded? I am not trying to be an ass, but you will understand this when you start working and have your own family.

I don't know how much of a draw Bisping is, but he is the third highest paid fighter in the history of the UFC, and he is, after Conor, the fighter that get the most media coverage these days, and most posts in all MMA forums, so I guess he is valued pretty high by the UFC.

I don't know how old you are, but you do know that no fighter is a matchmaker? The UFC decides what fights they are given. I am a long time fan of Jacare, but you could say the same about most fighters: Jacare turned down the Rockhold title-fight, and now he suddenly deserves a shot at the champ? Why is it accepted that these contenders can turn down title fights, and except to still be first in line?

 

[Threetrees]

Why has it become okay to do this?

You win one big fight and now you'll hold the audience to ransom?

It's absolutely ridiculous, how can we even call this a sport anymore if this is the case?

Oh he deserves the payday, boo hoo!

You won a fucking last minute replacement fight, and now you're acting like you're the money fight. How many PPV's has Michael Bisping headlined and how many of them have done a number over 400k in buys?

Probably zero!

Of course it's okay to do it.
The fighters don't owe the fans anything but to show up and fight in fights they sign to. They don't owe excitement, they don't owe us fighting who we want them to fight. If they don't do these things fans can protest with their checkbooks by not paying, but they won't do that en masse so it doesn't matter.

He doesn't 'deserve' anything, but he's an independent contractor who has more negotiating power than he ever has. If he's smart, which he seems to be, he's doing it the right way for himself - why fight Yoel and get beat when you can fight GSP and win? Why fight Yoel or Souza and get smoked when you can avenge the Hendo loss and get some PPV points (even though that fight turned out to be tough). People defending him by saying he takes whoever the UFC offers are bullshitting too, the Sean Shelby and Joe Silva are on record multiple times in saying they pretty much always discuss more than one fight with every fight including champions before sending a legit offer, and sometimes they still send multiple offers. Bisping is fighting the guys he wants to fight. And he has every right to do that. You know how you become a money fight? Win fights, don't get KO'd, talk shit and fight names the UFC claims are big.

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

Seriously?
So when Dana made money selling his share of the UFC, he should just start doing charity work for peanuts, because he is ritch already? He should stop caring about himself or his family, his children and grandchildren, because he is already loaded? I am not trying to be an ass, but you will understand this when you start working and have your own family.

I don't know how much of a draw Bisping is, but he is the third highest paid fighter in the history of the UFC, and he is, after Conor, the fighter that get the most media coverage these days, and most posts in all MMA forums, so I guess he is valued pretty high by the UFC.

I don't know how old you are, but you do know that no fighter is a matchmaker? The UFC decides what fights they are given. I am a long time fan of Jacare, but you could say the same about most fighters: Jacare turned down the Rockhold title-fight, and now he suddenly deserves a shot at the champ? Why is it accepted that these contenders can turn down title fights, and except to still be first in line?

"When I start working"

Since when do you know me mate? I've been working in the corporate world for almost 7 years of my life, across 6 organisations and I own my own business. Don't try to preach some fatherly advice shit to me.

"No fighter is a matchmaker"

Oh, so they're slaves now? Get what they're given, right? Total nonsense, of course you can turn down fights, hence why they keep giving someone like Nick Diaz different opponent choices every week.

The fact of the matter is, he is pretty well paid compared to the field, and his achievements don't ring true to the amount he's being paid.

There are absolute beasts on the roster, long standing champions and in some cases MMA legends, who do not make as much money as him. That much is even fine, but don't then say "I'm due a big payday". Over half a million dollars to fight Alan Belcher is a fucking amazing payday - so get the fuck out of here with the "I'm owed something" crap.

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

Of course it's okay to do it.
The fighters don't owe the fans anything but to show up and fight in fights they sign to. They don't owe excitement, they don't owe us fighting who we want them to fight. If they don't do these things fans can protest with their checkbooks by not paying, but they won't do that en masse so it doesn't matter.

He doesn't 'deserve' anything, but he's an independent contractor who has more negotiating power than he ever has. If he's smart, which he seems to be, he's doing it the right way for himself - why fight Yoel and get beat when you can fight GSP and win? Why fight Yoel or Souza and get smoked when you can avenge the Hendo loss and get some PPV points (even though that fight turned out to be tough). People defending him by saying he takes whoever the UFC offers are bullshitting too, the Sean Shelby and Joe Silva are on record multiple times in saying they pretty much always discuss more than one fight with every fight including champions before sending a legit offer, and sometimes they still send multiple offers. Bisping is fighting the guys he wants to fight. And he has every right to do that. You know how you become a money fight? Win fights, don't get KO'd, talk shit and fight names the UFC claims are big.

So we as paying fans must now witness Bisping's negotiations and his ploy to get the most money with the least risk.

Yeah, that's what I pay my hard earned money for.

 

[Threetrees]

So we as paying fans must now witness Bisping's negotiations and his ploy to get the most money with the least risk.

Yeah, that's what I pay my hard earned money for.

Then don't buy his fights.

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

Then don't buy his fights.

Fans are supposed to shape the sport. The sport doesn't give its fans a like it or lump it attitude.

Your approach is ridiculous.

Oh, the NFL makes 100 rule changes and it ruins the experience for the viewer. Audience starts to file complaints to the NFL offices and the NFL turns around and says "okay, don't tune in then".

Yeah, you're smart one.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Fighting Jacare for the honor and glory, instead of making tons of money fighting legends? Make a good life for your family or make internet forum posters happy?

That is a huge dilemma... or is it?

Dude Bisping is the 2nd highest paid fighter ever (27 UFC fights out of 37 total MMA fights. Most of them higher profile fights) and was first until McGregor's last fight. He's made north of $7 million just on purse money alone. Now lets add in sponsors (who fighters actually get the bulk of their income from) and other jobs like commentating/movies (he was actually fresh of a movie set when he got the call to replace Weidman).

Bisping is a fucking 1%er. He's already made tons of money and still will in the future outside of MMA.

He will always be remembered as the ducking champ because of his recent actions.