5 most iconic Michael Bisping moments in the UFC

#4. Michael Bisping fights one of the GOATs, Georges St-Pierre, at UFC 217

11 years after winning The Ultimate Fighter, Michael Bisping was the undisputed UFC middleweight champion. In retrospect, the fact that he became the champion in the first place is an unbelievable feat. After repeatedly lying to athletic commissions and doctors about his eye injury, Bisping managed to do the unthinkable and win UFC gold.

In his second title defense, he took on one of the greatest fighters of all time, Georges St-Pierre. St-Pierre was the UFC welterweight champion between 2008 and 2013. He vacated his belt following his ninth title defense and took a four-year hiatus from the sport. In his highly anticipated return to the octagon, he looked to become a two-division champion as he challenged Bisping, the then-middleweight champ, in 2017.

Bisping had numerous medical issues going into the bout with St-Pierre. In addition to having only one functioning eye, he was still recovering from a knee surgery that ruled him out of a bout against Yoel Romero. It was later revealed that he also had damaged ribs going into his showdown with 'Rush'. Nevertheless, he put on a strong front throughout the fight week leading up to their clash at UFC 217.

Watch Michael Bisping discuss his bout with Georges St-Pierre below:

The fight that ensued turned out to be one of the hardest of Georges St-Pierre's professional career. Despite securing a takedown during the fight, the Canadian icon arguably came out worse from those early exchanges on the ground as Michael Bisping was incredibly active from the bottom position. 'The Count' landed numerous elbows, opening up a few deep cuts on the challenger's face.

Towards the end of the third round of a highly competitive fight, St-Pierre managed to secure another takedown and proceeded to sink in a rear-naked choke to win the 185 pound strap. In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, the former two-division champion heaped praise on his English counterpart. Commending Bisping, 'Rush' said:

"Michael is, man... He's the toughest guy I've fought. This man is amazing. I'm a fighter but I've been a fan of this man. He's a true example of hard work and perseverance in the sport. So Michael, all my repsect to you, man!"

Watch Michael Bisping and Georges St-Pierre's post-fight interviews below:

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#3. Michael Bisping defeats Anderson Silva in London at UFC Fight Night 84

Before Michael Bisping ever tasted UFC gold, he found himself in a merciless cycle of beating numerous high-level fighters but falling short in No.1 contender's fights. The cycle repeated itself four times as 'The Count' dropped the ball every time he needed just one more win to secure a title shot.

His KO loss to Dan Henderson in 2009, the razor-close decision loss to Chael Sonnen in 2012 and the defeats to Tim Kennedy and Luke Rockhold in 2014 led many to believe that he would never get a championship opportunity. Moreover, as he got older, with all the medical issues he was dealing with, it appeared as though the UFC championship wasn't his destiny.

After his loss to Kennedy, Bisping picked up back-to-back wins over C.B. Dollaway and Thailes Leites to put himself back in the mix atop the 185 pound division. In his next bout, he was booked to take on former middleweight champion and arguably the greatest 185 pound fighter of all time, Anderson Silva. The duo locked horns in a five-round main event clash in London in 2016.

Michael Bisping looked on point throughout the opening two rounds. His volume and activity seemed to be too much for Anderson Silva in the first 10 minutes. 'The Count' went on to overwhelm Silva with his relentless pressure in the third round as well, until the final 10 seconds. Bisping's mouthguard fell out after one of the striking exchanges and he unwisely pointed at the referee to take notice, taking his eyes off 'The Spider'.

Silva launched a powerful flying knee on Bisping which saw the Englishman crash down to the canvas. The thunderous strike opened up a huge cut and blood was pouring profusely out of it. The former champ thought he had knocked out his British counterpart and subsequently climbed on to the cage wall to celebrate. It seemed as though this was the final nail in the coffin that housed Bisping's championship aspirations.

However, referee Herb Dean didn't call a halt to the action. Rather, the clock ran out and Dean told Michael Bisping that the fight wasn't over, just the round. 'The Count' gathered himself and returned to his corner as Anderson Silva was asked to stop celebrating.

Bisping went on to carry his incredible pressure from the first few rounds into the fourth and fifth. In front of a raucous English crowd, he was awarded a unanimous decision victory on the night, putting him in prime position for a shot at middleweight gold.

Watch the full Michael Bisping vs. Anderson Silva fight below: