Michael Bisping: It Would Be Tragic If I Never Got To Fight Anderson Silva

With the UFC middleweight division quickly turning into one of the most dangerous and stacked landscapes in all of MMA, longtime contender Michael Bisping has gotten lost in the mix a bit.

Scheduled to face Mark Munoz in the main event of UFC Fight Night 30, Bisping was unfortunately forced to withdraw from the card with a detached retina. He required surgery, but it went well. “The Count” has been cleared to resume training and has his sights set on a feud with rising former Strikeforce title challenger Tim Kennedy.

However, with UFC 168 set to pop off this weekend, Bisping has his eyes set on a much more illustrious opponent. Despite remaining near the top of the 185-pound ranks for years, he lacks that one true defining victory. He’s been on the cusp of greatness before failing in attempts against Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, and Vitor Belfort.

That’s kept him from facing former divisional champion Anderson Silva, arguably the greatest fighter of Bisping’s generation. Silva will attempt to get the belt back against current champion Chris Weidman at this Saturday’s UFC 168, so his future remains unknown. But Bisping believes his career will be incomplete if he never finds himself across the Octagon from “The Spider:”

“Anderson Silva is going to go down as one of the greatest fighters that ever lived. He’s going to be like a Muhammad Ali. He’s going to be a legend, simple as that. To be competing alongside Anderson Silva for so long, and not get to fight him would be tragic.” – via Bloody Elbow 

It may indeed be tragic for him, but the fact remains that Bisping had more than one shot to get booked against Silva and missed. Now the UFC middleweight arena is populated by a list of headhunters that simply weren’t there during Bisping’s solid run of the past few years.

Former UFC light heavyweight Lyoto Machida recently made his middleweight debut by filling in for Bisping at UFN 30, knocking out Munoz with a perfectly placed front kick to announce himself as a big player. “The Dragon” will now face former Strikeforce and DREAM champion Gegard Mousasi in “The Dreamcatcher’s” UFC middleweight debut.

And of course we can’t forget the polarizing yet dominant Vitor Belfort, who seems to think the belt is already his.

You can’t argue with “The Phenom’s” results, as he’s used vicious headkicks to knock out Bisping, Luke Rockhold, and Dan Henderson this year. That’s an incredible resume and Belfort will most likely have his day for the belt.

Another former Strikeforce champ is quietly lurking in the shadows, as well. BJJ wiz Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza showed incredible knockout power to match by destroying divisional stalwart Yushin Okami at UFC Fight Night 28. His overall game is improving at an alarming rate, and “Jacare” may just be a dark horse contender to hold the belt by the end of 2014 if he can get the right bookings.

Middleweight is set to explode next year and Bisping may be falling by the wayside after some time on the shelf. If he ever wants to face Silva, he needs to get back on track by defeating one of the big names that currently populate the 185-pound scene. Does “The Count” still have enough gas left to derail these freight trains?

Photo: Brad Penner for USA TODAY Sports