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Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping is considered one of the most outspoken and entertaining personalities in MMA history.
Known for his witty trash talk, never-say-die attitude, and well-rounded MMA skill-set, Michael Bisping has had several intense rivalries with fellow fighters over the years. Some rivalries had a lighthearted aura, such as his feud with Georges St-Pierre over the UFC middleweight title. Others, like his feud with Dan Henderson, were far more personal.
We examine a few notable cases where Michael Bisping squashed his beef with his UFC rivals:
#3 Michael Bisping and Jorge Masvidal squashed their beef in 2019
One of the most notable feuds in MMA history that didn’t result in the two feuding parties engaging in a physical fight against each other was the feud between Michael Bisping and Jorge Masvidal. Back in 2017, Bisping held the UFC middleweight title and was involved in a rivalry with Masvidal’s friend and longtime training partner Yoel Romero.
UFC middleweights Bisping and Romero were at odds over the UFC middleweight title at the time. Masvidal, who’d competed at lightweight for the better part of his career and was making waves at welterweight as well, went on to have multiple verbal altercations with Bisping during this time.
Michael Bisping got into arguments with Masvidal backstage at UFC events and in hotel lobbies. Additionally, Bisping almost got into a physical altercation with the Cuban-American MMA star in a hotel in China in 2018.
Bisping retired from MMA in May 2018, and the two fighters subsequently buried the hatchet in 2019. Over the past few years, Bisping, as a UFC commentator and analyst, has interviewed Masvidal on multiple occasions. They're now known to be on cordial, even friendly terms with one another.
#2 Michael Bisping and Anderson Silva ended their feud on a respectful note
Michael Bisping faced fellow MMA legend Anderson Silva back in 2016. The fight was an all-out war that went the five-round distance and is regarded as one of the best MMA fights of all time. Following their incredible five-round war, Bisping and Silva bowed down and expressed their respect for each other.
Their feud seemingly ended after the fight. However, the buildup to the fight was quite the roller-coaster, with Michael Bisping relentlessly going after Silva’s history of failed PED tests. Bisping consistently maintained that Silva’s legacy was tainted due to illegal steroid use. Meanwhile, Silva vowed to shut ‘The Count’ up once and for all when they met inside the octagon.
Michael Bisping ended up winning their closely-contested fight via unanimous decision, and the two veteran fighters appeared to let bygones be bygones after the grueling fight.
#1 Michael Bisping vs. Luke Rockhold
Michael Bisping suffered a submission loss to Luke Rockhold in 2014. In 2016, Bisping stepped in on short notice to replace the injured Chris Weidman and serve as Rockhold’s opponent at UFC 199 for the middleweight title.
‘The Count’ suggested that winning the UFC middleweight title was his destiny, whereas Rockhold scoffed at the mere thought of Bisping possibly beating him.
Michael Bisping ended up beating Rockhold in the rematch in truly spectacular fashion, stopping him via first-round KO and winning the UFC middleweight title. Their rivalry didn’t end there, though, as Rockhold vowed to come back and "kill" Bisping.
Their trilogy fight never came to fruition in the realm of professional MMA competition. Bisping retired from MMA in 2018. Meanwhile, Rockhold went on to lose multiple fights. They did, however, eventually bury the hatchet. Bisping and Rockhold recently also sparred with one another.
Back in 2020, Michael Bisping offered to squash their beef. Speaking to Submission Radio, Bisping stated:
“I don’t hold grudges against anybody. Well, there’s a couple of people back in England that if I get my hands on, then I’ll wring their necks. But other than that, there’s nobody professional. Listen, those days are behind me now. I have no ill will. I wish everybody the best. I don’t have any grudges. And yeah, I’d happily share a beer with Rockhold.”
Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold went on to end their rivalry. In fact, they even trained together after ending the said rivalry. Earlier this year, Rockhold spoke to ESPN MMA and explained the decision to squash their beef:
"You know, you gotta let things go. You gotta move on. I've crushed it with Vitor (Belfort). I've crushed it with Bisping. It's the fight game. It's a crazy game, but you gotta move on. You gotta let things go. It is what it is."
Michael Bisping is currently on good terms with most of his past UFC rivals. Nevertheless, Bisping does engage in banter with a few of his rivals from time to time. The biggest reminder of this fact came around the time of UFC 251 in July 2020, when Bisping and arch-rival Dan Henderson went back and forth with stinging jibes on social media.
Which Michael Bisping feud do you regard as the most entertaining and memorable one? Sound off in the comments.
