Michael Bisping’s win over Anderson Silva last month gave him the big-spot win he’d been looking for, and his manager Audie Attar believes he’s earned the right to fight for the UFC Middleweight Championship.
In an interview with MMAFighting.com, Attar said that a potential fight with Nick Diaz still intrigues Bisping, but the title fight is what he’s after.
“Nick Diaz is definitely calling him out and that sounds enticing and I think that would be an amazing matchup,” Attar told MMA Fighting. “But for Mike and what he’s done in the sport, he’s earned the right to say, ‘I want the winner of Rockhold and Weidman.’ I think that’s what he’s doing.
“He hears Nick Diaz. He thinks that would be a fun, exciting fight. The fans would like to see that, but it’s his time now. I think for Mike right now, he wants a title shot. He’s earned that in his career.”
Penick’s Analysis: The UFC could sell a title fight for Bisping come late summer/early fall, but there are other options at middleweight for that shot, most notably the winner of the Jacare Souza-Vitor Belfort fight from May. If it’s Belfort, the UFC is more likely to book him with Rockhold than Bisping because of the Champ’s desire to avenge that loss – should he defeat Chris Weidman of course. Bisping may yet be considered, but if he’s not, the Diaz fight is the one to make.
[Michael Bisping art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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