Michael Bisping Biography Introduction:
Despite his status as a light heavyweight favorite on
The Ultimate Fighter 3 back in 2006, Michael Bisping felt somewhat underappreciated on the show. The problem was that his coach, Tito Ortiz, seemed to support his teammate Matt Hamill more than him. But Bisping didn't let it get him down enough for it to effect his performance. And when Hamill went down with injury, the last real threat to him for the
TUF 3 title went down as well. Bisping was simply unstoppable on his way to winning a six figure UFC deal.
With that, a British MMA star was born.
Date of Birth:
Bisping was born on February 28, 1979 in Cyprus (on a British military base). His full name is Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping.
Training Camp and Fighting Organization:
Bisping fights out of the Wolfslair MMA Academy in England. He fights for the UFC.
Nickname :
The Count
Martial Arts Training Previous to MMA:
Bisping began training in jujutsu (Yawara Ryu) at the age of 8. At 15, he competed in
Knock Down Sport Budo, a first of its kind amateur MMA event in England organized by his Yawara Ryu teacher, Paul Lloyd Davies.
After a brief break from martial arts at the age of 18, Bisping began training in kickboxing and karate. This propelled him to a short-lived kickboxing career that saw him win the North West Area and Pro British light heavyweight titles. Still, full time training was just a pipe dream at the time. Thus, Bisping worked as a postman and DJ, amongst other things, during this period.
What Got Bisping Into Combat Sports:
According to
UFCMedia.com, Bisping said the following: "What really got me into combat sport was the Rocky films and then
Bruce Lee films, and the Eighties ninja films. At the end of the Rocky films, my brother and I would end up shadow boxing in the front room, which always ended in tears, because at some point, a full-on brawl would ensue. I also loved kick-boxing movies with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and yes, I was obsessed with the Mutant Ninja Turtles. I still know the entire theme tune."
MMA Comes Calling:
In 2003, Bisping began missing martial arts competition and contacted his old coach (Davies), who was coaching at Master Salahs MMA gym in Manchester. This was when he first learned about the sport of mixed martial arts. After visiting and sparring at Master Salahs for one day, Davies offered to train and manage him as an MMA fighter. Bisping won his MMA debut at
Pride and Glory 2: Battle of the Ages on April 4, 2004. There he defeated Steve Mathews by armbar after only 38 seconds had gone by. He would go undefeated on the British MMA circuit (10-0) before his big break as a participant on
TUF 3 came.
Then There Was the UFC:
Bisping made the most of his time on
TUF 3, eventually winning the show with a TKO victory over Josh Haynes. This netted him a six figure UFC contract that some thought TUF 3 rival Matt Hamill would have won had he not been injured. At UFC 75, Bisping and Hamill finally did square off with "The Count" taking home a split decision victory. However, most who saw the fight felt that Hamill had won. In his next fight, Bisping lost a close battle to
Rashad Evans via split decision.
That's when he decided to make the drop to middleweight. Later, Bisping found himself coaching against Dan Henderson on TUF 9.
Awards:
Beyond having won the
TUF 3 crown and the
Cage Rage and
FX3 Light Heavyweight Championships, Bisping was also named the
Nuts Magazine "Fighter of the Year" in 2008.
Fighting Style:
Bisping possesses excellent and diverse striking skills. He utilizes kicks, knees, and punches to give opponents problems. Since dropping to the middleweight division, his power on his feet has become more pronounced.
Bisping is also an excellent submission fighter. He is good from both his back and the more dominant positions. Beyond it all, he's very tough, always comes to fight in shape, and tends to stop the far majority of his opponents.
Personal Life
Bisping moved as a child to Clitheroe, Lancashire, England from his birth place (Cyprus). He is currently married to Rebecca and has two children with her.
