UFC : Bisping vs Gastelum and The Count's Cinderella story

Okay, this one is interesting. Especially for fight fans who want to get closure on Michael “The Count” Bisping's career. When Anderson Silva got popped (again) for using banned substances, Bisping, only days after being dethroned as a UFC middleweight champion, offered to step in and take on the dangerous Kelvin Gastelum. 

For the most part, The Count’s career has been a long and steady grind, always facing the top competition, but coming short in all of his important matchups. Many observers considered him as a gatekeeper, who always puts on a great fight, but cannot hold his own when facing the upper echelon of contenders.  

Silencing his critics, Bisping, at 36 years of age, made his last run at the middleweight title. He out pointed C.B Dolloway, Thales Leites and in a back and forth battle the pound-for-pound legend, Anderson Silva.  

Then, with 17 days notice, he stepped in for injured Chris Weidman to rematch Luke Rockhold with the middleweight title being on the line. Rockhold won their first clash in a dominant fashion, choking Bisping out and making it look easy. In the upset of the year, Michael Bisping, being 8-to-1 underdog, knocked Rockhold out in the first round and became the undisputed middleweight champion. 

As a titleholder, he defended his belt against another two legends. First winning a decision against Dan Henderson and subsequently losing to George St Pierre, just three weeks ago. On paper, Michael Bisping has been on an absolute tear. During the last two years, he has wins over incredible competition, beating three hall-of-famers and taking the title from a very strong champion, who many believed would rule the division for a long time.  

On the other hand, in the Anderson Silva fight, Bisping was knocked unconscious and only saved by the bell because Silva started celebrating his win prematurely. 

He was a huge underdog in his fight against Rockhold and was not even given a punchers chance, instead often seen as a “pillow-fisted” fighter. Be as it may, knock out Rockhold he did. But then, instead of defending his title against deserving contenders, he chose to give a shot to Dan Henderson. Reason being that they had bad blood going back all the way to UFC 100, when Henderson brutally knocked him out. “Hendo’s” best days were long behind him. Having won just three of his last ten fights, he was not ranked even as a top ten middleweight and at 46 years old, win or lose, this was his retirement fight. Henderson butchered Bispings face and almost knocked him out in the first round. The Count did win the decision after the bell rang the final time, but many felt that the fight could have gone either way with a draw probably being the most accurate result. After that it was finally time for Bisping to put his belt on the line against the top contenders of the middleweight division, right? 

That was spoiled by George St. Pierre, who decided to end his four year retirement by moving up from his natural weight class and challenge for the middleweight gold. GSP’s return fight made a lot of sense in a financial standpoint for both fighters and the UFC, but quite little considering the legitimacy of the belt in contention. Bisping was knocked down with a left hook and after taking a number of well placed elbows, he was chocked out by St. Pierre in the third round. 

And here we are. Just three weeks after losing his belt, Bisping is fighting Kelvin Gastelum, who is a young and hungry fighter, trying to make his name. The Ultimate Fighter season 17 winner is perhaps better suited for the welterweight class, but has a long history of not being able to make the cut required. So he has been forced by the UFC to move up a weight. This however does not make him any less of a threat. Gastelum has crisp boxing and fast, heavy hands. This is supported with solid wrestling skills and a great rear-naked choke, making him dangerous opponent for anybody.  

In this fight, Bisping has to rely on his experience and endless gas tank, weathering the storm of Gastelum and forcing him into later rounds, where he could very well outwork his younger opponent. Gastelum has his best chances when he is still fresh and fast. His ability to cover distance and deliver his ferocious straight punches will be a big problem for his older dancing partner and he just might end the fight early.

So that's it. Enjoy the fight and give your thoughts about it.