Bisping Tired Of Super Fights
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping is tired of super fights.
In recent years, champions have moved up or down to face other champions in super fights in an effort to become rule two divisions at the same time. However, those matchups have only served to do one thing — stall out divisions.
Henry Cejudo is the latest example as he defended his flyweight title against then bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw last January. He would then move up and become the bantamweight champion in June.
He was later stripped of the flyweight title last month. Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueredo will now compete for the vacant flyweight title at UFC Norfolk at February. However, that means it will have been more than a year since the flyweight title was contested by deserving contenders.
And Bisping wants it to stop.
“I’m sick of all this talk of super fights, if I’m honest,” Bisping said on his official podcast (via BJ Penn). “I want to see the champions defending the belts. All of this jumping around… I think last year and the year before, it all got a little silly.”
That said, “The Count” believes the UFC will not be as open to the idea going forward, especially given how two-weight champions eventually had to vacate or get stripped of one of their belts. The only person not to is Amanda Nunes but that’s only because she has little to no competition at women’s featherweight.
“I feel like the UFC aren’t going to be too quick to make those super fights anymore,” Bisping added. “Whilst they do capture the imagination of the public, [THE UFC is] just stripping Henry Cejudo of the 125 [title]. The only real double-champ that’s left now is Amanda Nunes, and even her, she’s having trouble finding challenges at 145. I feel the only reason she hasn’t been stripped yet is there isn’t anyone at ’45 to take her place.”
Bisping knows a thing or two about super fights. After all, he stalled his own division when he was middleweight champion when he faced Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 over two years ago.
But it’ll be hard to find many who disagree with him now.
