Michael Bisping
Encyclopedia
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (born 28 February 1979) is an English mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

 born in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 but living in Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...

, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

 and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship or CWFC is a mixed martial arts promotion, based in London, England. Cage Warriors was established in 2001 and staged its first MMA event in London in July, 2002. Warrior Promotions, the organisation behind CWFC, is a UK management agency for MMA fighters...

 light heavyweight
Light Heavyweight (MMA)
The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb . It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division....

 champion, former Cage Rage light heavyweight champion and The Ultimate Fighter 3
The Ultimate Fighter 3
The Ultimate Fighter 3 was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of Ultimate Fight Night 4. The season featured sixteen fighters with still-feuding former champion Tito Ortiz and...

 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner. As of October 2011, Bisping is ranked the No. 8 middleweight in the world by Sherdog
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...


Early life

Bisping was born on a British military base in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 in 1979, but moved to Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...

, East Yorkshire, England when he was a child. Taking an early interest in martial arts, Bisping began training in a traditional form of jiu-jitsu known as Yawara Ryu under Paul Lloyd Davies when he was 8 years old. In 1994, at the age of 15, Bisping competed as an amateur in England's first "no holds barred" competition, a precursor to modern MMA, called Knock Down Sport Budo (KSBO), organised by Davies.

At the age of 18, Bisping decided to abandon his martial arts training in order "to pursue real life". But less than a year later Bisping began training kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....

 and karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

 on the advice of Alan Clarking, owner of Black Knights gym, who saw potential in the young fighter. Bisping enjoyed a short, but successful kickboxing career, winning the North West Area title and later the Pro British light heavyweight kickboxing title. After again briefly quitting competition in 1998, Bisping returned to kickboxing to take the Pro British light heavyweight title for a second time. Soon after winning his second kickboxing title, Bisping was forced to abandon his full-time training for a "real job". Bisping worked in factories, slaughterhouses, as an upholsterer, a postman, a tiler, a plasterer, a double-glazing door salesman and also a relatively successful DJ around the north-west club scene.

Early career

Bisping made his professional mixed martial arts debut at Pride & Glory 2: Battle of the Ages on 4 April 2004, taking a 0:38 rear naked choke victory over Steve Mathews. Just one month later, Bisping scored his first knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

 against John Weir
John Weir
Sir John Weir, GCVO, Royal Victorian Chain , MB ChB Glasgow 1907, FFHom 1943, Physician Royal to several twentieth century monarchs....

 at UK MMA Challenge 7: Rage & Fury. In his third MMA match, Bisping became the Cage Rage
Cage Rage
Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went bankrupt and is now no longer trading...

 light heavyweight champion at Cage Rage 7, defeating Mark Epstein
Mark Epstein
Mark Epstein, M.D. , is an American psychiatrist who has written extensively about Buddhism and psychotherapy. Epstein is a graduate of Harvard College and the Harvard Medical School. He has been a practicing Buddhist since his early twenties, primarily as a student of Joseph Goldstein and Jack...

 by technical knockout. Bisping went on to defend his championship title in a rematch against Epstein at Cage Rage 9
Cage Rage 9
Cage Rage 9: No Mercy was a mixed martial arts event held by the Cage Rage Championships on November 27, 2004 at the Wembley Conference Centre in London, England.-Results:*Featherweight bout: Brad Pickett vs. Stuart Grant...

 in a knockout victory that solidified Bisping as one of the top light heavyweight fighters in England. It also earned him the moniker "The Great British Hope", by UFC.com.

At The Ultimate Fight Club UK: Natural Instinct on 29 January 2005, Bisping made his cage kickboxing debut against David Brown in a light heavyweight contest. With Brown badly cut, Bisping picked up the win via medical stoppage in round 2.

Bisping, who trains with the Wolfslair MMA Academy, the professional fight team of Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship or CWFC is a mixed martial arts promotion, based in London, England. Cage Warriors was established in 2001 and staged its first MMA event in London in July, 2002. Warrior Promotions, the organisation behind CWFC, is a UK management agency for MMA fighters...

, made his debut for the promotion at Ultimate Force on 30 April 2005, defeating Dave Radford to win the vacant Cage Warriors light heavyweight title. Bisping then competed in another light heavyweight cage kickboxing contest, against Cyrille Diabate
Cyrille Diabate
Cyrille Diabaté is a French mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He has also competed in shoot boxing and Muay Thai. He has fought at Palace Fighting Championship, PRIDE, ShoXC, Deep, Cage Rage and Ultimate Fighting Championship....

 at CWFC: Strike Force 1 on 21 May 2005, losing to Diabaté via decision after the end of the first extra round. He captured the FX3 light-heavyweight title on 18 June 2005 and was reigning on UK's major federations. In his first Cage Warriors title defence, Bisping defeated Miika Mehmet at CWFC: Strike Force 2, on 16 July 2005.

In September 2005, Cage Rage stripped the light heavyweight title from Bisping due to "management issues that Michael currently has", though Cage Warriors however stated that "Bisping was willing to defend his title but is being punished by Cage Rage due to his Wolfslair and Cage Warriors links". Towards the end of 2005, Bisping continued to successfully defend the Cage Warriors title against Jakob Lovstad and Ross Pointon
Ross Pointon
Ross Pointon is an English mixed martial artist who holds a record of 6 wins and 12 losses. He was a competitor in season three of The Ultimate Fighter, fighting in the Light Heavyweight division after premiering in the Middleweight division under Ken Shamrock...

 in the CWFC: Strike Force series of events, leading to a record of 10 wins and no losses.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In early 2006 Bisping was featured on the UFCs The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...

reality television series as a contestant training under Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...

. He won a preliminary bout against Kristian Rothaermel
Kristian Rothaermel
Kristian Baxter Rothaermel is an American mixed martial artist, fighting out of NOLA Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a competitor on The Ultimate Fighter 3 and holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Leonardo Xavier. Rothaermel has only one fight in the UFC after...

 by TKO, followed by a semi-final win against Ross Pointon
Ross Pointon
Ross Pointon is an English mixed martial artist who holds a record of 6 wins and 12 losses. He was a competitor in season three of The Ultimate Fighter, fighting in the Light Heavyweight division after premiering in the Middleweight division under Ken Shamrock...

 by submission after landing a flying knee and a series of strikes. In the finals, Bisping defeated Josh Haynes
Josh Haynes
Joshua Lee Haynes is an American mixed martial artist. He fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada with Xtreme Couture where he is also a coach. His MMA record is 17 wins, 11 losses. He was also a contestant on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter reality television show, training under Tito Ortiz...

 by TKO at 4:14 into the second round, making Bisping the second Light Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter television series.

Five months after his victory in the TUF 3 finals, Bisping was slated to fight Eric Schafer
Eric Schafer
Eric John Schafer is an American mixed martial artist who competes a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background and early career:Schafer attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh....

 at The Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 4
The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback is the fourth season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on August 17, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of UFC Fight Night 6. The finale was aired on November 11, 2006.This series featured a change from...

, but withdrew because of problems acquiring his visa. The fight was re-scheduled and held on 30 December at UFC 66
UFC 66
UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada .-Background:...

. Bisping defeated Schafer by TKO at 4:24 in the first round.

On 21 April 2007, Bisping scored a TKO win over Elvis Sinosic
Elvis Sinosic
Elvis Sinosic is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist.-Biography:Born in Canberra, Elvis Sinosic now resides in Sydney, where he practises his martial arts training. Elvis was born to Croatian parents and is proud of his Croatian heritage...

 at UFC 70
UFC 70
UFC 70: Nations Collide was the second UFC event held in the United Kingdom, and the first in Manchester on Saturday, April 21, 2007. The first UFC event in the UK was UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall on July 13, 2002. UFC 70 was also only the seventh UFC event held outside the United States, and the...

in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, England. Sinosic came out fighting and Bisping eagerly obliged, firing back before throwing the Australian to the canvas. Bisping then launched a vicious ground and pound attack, opening a cut on Sinosic's forehead. In the second round Bisping was knocked down from a knee. Then Sinosic almost secured a kimura before Bisping reversed and pounded away until Steve Mazzagatti stopped the bout at 1:40 of the second round.

Bisping was a special guest referee at the Cage Warriors events Enter The Wolfslair on 5 March 2005 and CWFC: Strike Force 6 on 27 May 2006.

On 8 September 2007, Bisping faced former Ultimate Fighter 3 rival Matt Hamill
Matt Hamill
Matthew S. Hamill is a retired American wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is a three-time NCAA Division III National Champion in wrestling while attending the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York...

 in London, England and won a controversial split decision after 3 rounds. Hamill pushed the pace and took Bisping down numerous times in the first two rounds, with Bisping hitting solid strikes and blocking numerous takedown attempts towards the end of the second and in the third round. Both American judges scored the bout 29–28 for Bisping, the lone British judge voted 30–27 for Hamill.

Bisping's next match at UFC 78
UFC 78
UFC 78: Validation was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , that took place on November 17, 2007 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey...

 against fellow Ultimate Fighter winner Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...

 resulted in his first loss, via split decision – 29–28, 29–28, 28–29 for Evans.

Move down to Middleweight

Since the start of his MMA career, people had been advising Bisping that he was a little too small for light heavyweight and would do better at middleweight, and after his loss to Rashad Evans, Bisping decided to drop down a weight division, with Dana White's support. On 19 April 2008 at UFC 83
UFC 83
UFC 83: Serra vs St-Pierre 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held on April 19, 2008, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. UFC 83 was the UFC's first event in Canada...

, Bisping made his debut as a Middleweight against Charles McCarthy who had a rather lackluster record in MMA. Bisping won by TKO, as McCarthy was unable to continue after the first round due to a forearm injury he sustained after receiving an unanswered series of knees and uppercuts from Bisping.

Bisping's next fight (and second at 185 lb (83.9 kg)), was on 7 June 2008 at UFC 85
UFC 85
UFC 85: Bedlam was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , on June 7, 2008 at The O2 arena in London, England.-Background:...

 in London, against Jason Day
Jason Day (fighter)
Jason Day is a Canadian mixed martial artist born in Lethbridge, Alberta. He has fought for a variety of Mixed martial arts promotions, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, TKO Major League MMA, and King of the Cage....

.
Bisping was originally set to face Chris Leben
Chris Leben
Christian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....

, but Jason Day stepped in as Leben was incarcerated for 35 days and unable to compete. Bisping won the fight in dominant fashion in the first round, securing two takedowns and applying a high paced pressure; it was his second 1st round TKO in a row.

Bisping headlined UFC 89
UFC 89
UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 18, 2008 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. The event was headlined by a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben...

 on 18 October, in a matchup against Chris Leben
Chris Leben
Christian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....

, who Bisping was supposed to face in UFC 85
UFC 85
UFC 85: Bedlam was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , on June 7, 2008 at The O2 arena in London, England.-Background:...

.
Bisping won a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 30–27 (twice), and 29–28 for Bisping. Bisping used effective counter punching in the fight to keep the aggressive Leben at bay. After the fight Leben tested positive for Stanozolol
Stanozolol
Stanozolol, commonly sold under the name Winstrol , Tenabol and Winstrol Depot , was developed by Winthrop Laboratories in 1962...

 and was suspended for nine months.

After the fight with Leben, Bisping was confirmed as one of the coaches on the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...

. The other coach was American Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson
Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion...

, whom Bisping would fight after the show ended, on 11 July 2009 at Mandalay Bay at UFC 100
UFC 100
UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

. The fight was believed to be an eliminator for the UFC Middleweight Championship top contender spot. Michael had received a high-end Land Rover for being a coach on the show, along with Dan Henderson.

On 11 July at UFC 100, Bisping was knocked out by Dan Henderson with a flush overhand right while he was circling to his left. Henderson followed up with a strike after Bisping had fallen to the ground before the fight was stopped. It marked the first occasion Bisping had ever conceded a knockout loss and also only his second loss in his MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

 career to date.

Bisping faced Spirit MC
Spirit MC
Spirit Martial Challenge is a defunct South Korean mixed martial arts promotion formerly operated by Entlian Corporation.The promotion was separated into Spirit MC , Spirit MC Inter League, Spirit MC Amateur League. Amateur League was a minor league, which was a stepping stone to the Professional...

 & Pride
Pride
Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...

 veteran Denis Kang
Denis Kang
Denis Kang is a Canadian mixed martial artist of Korean French descent. He was the PRIDE FC welterweight grand prix finalist in which he lost to Kazuo Misaki...

 on 14 November 2009 at UFC 105
UFC 105
UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 14, 2009 in Manchester, England at the Manchester Evening News Arena...

.
Bisping TKO'd Kang in the 2nd round. Kang dropped Bisping with a right hand in the first round which stunned Bisping. Kang followed Bisping to the floor and attempted submissions, but Bisping defended well and neutralised Kang's attacks despite Kang briefly having full mount. In the 2nd round Bisping secured a single-leg takedown and the complexion of the fight changed. He unleashed a ground and pound attack on the Canadian, which Kang failed to recover from. The fight was awarded "Fight of the Night" giving both Kang and Bisping a $40,000 bonus.

Bisping next faced former PRIDE Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...

 on 21 February 2010 at UFC 110
UFC 110
UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, 21 February 2010 in Sydney, Australia, at the Acer Arena. The event marked the UFC's first trip to Australia. The main card was scheduled for 2:00 pm Sunday in Sydney to cater...

. Wanderlei Silva's ability to flurry in the final seconds of the second and third rounds, two knockdowns and an attempted guillotine choke contributed to his victory by a clear unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).

Bisping defeated Dan Miller
Dan Miller (fighter)
Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...

 by unanimous decision on 29 May 2010 at UFC 114
UFC 114
UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 29, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center....

.

Bisping faced and defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama
Yoshihiro Akiyama
, born Choo Sung-hoon , is a Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. He is a fourth-generation Japanese of Korean descent and acquired Japanese nationality in 2001....

 on 16 October 2010 at UFC 120
UFC 120
UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The first ever UK UFC Fan Expo coincided with this event. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the U.S. and Canada...

, winning 30–27 on all three judges' scorecards. The fight was awarded Fight of the Night honours. Though Bisping was rocked early in the fight by Akiyama, he regained his composure and landed combos repeatedly on Akiyama to sweep all three judges scorecards.

Bisping faced off in an emotionally charged fight against Jorge Rivera
Jorge Rivera (fighter)
Jorge Luis Rivera is an American mixed martial artist who was featured on The Ultimate Fighter 4. He holds victories over five former or future UFC title contenders; Travis Lutter, David Loiseau, Kendall Grove, Dennis Hallman and Nate Quarry.-Military career:19k Tank with A/1-70 Armor at Fort...

 on 26 February 2011 at UFC 127
UFC 127
UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, 27 February 2011 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Due to the time zone difference it aired live on Saturday, 26 February in North America...

. Both fighters had trash talked each other before the fight, having to be restrained at the weigh-in during a verbal argument. Bisping dominated the first round scoring a few takedowns until he delivered an illegal knee to the head of Rivera. A point was taken from Bisping and, after a lengthy halt to the action, the fight continued. The fight ended with a TKO from Bisping in the second round. After the fight Bisping spat at Rivera's corner and confronted Rivera on pre-fight comments that Bisping thought disparaged his family. Rivera denied the comments and tried to mend things but Bisping told him to "Go home" and called him a "loser." In the aftermath of the incident Bisping faced "disciplinary actions" and was fined. Multiple fighters have since come forward saying they want to fight Bisping in light of the incident including UFC middleweight notables Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen
Chael Patrick Sonnen is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon, a two-time University Greco national champion as well as the 85.0 kg silver medalist at...

, Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort
Vítor Vieira Belfort is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson and currently trains with Xtreme Couture, fighting in...

, Demian Maia
Demian Maia
Demian Maia Baptista is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Maia is currently ranked the #6 middleweight in the world by Sherdog and Yahoo! Sports., and the #8 middleweight fighter in the world by...

, Alan Belcher
Alan Belcher
John Alan Belcher , is an American mixed martial artist who fights in the middleweight division of the UFC. He fights out of Remix MMA in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he is also the owner. Belcher holds notable wins over Jorge Santiago, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman, Dennis Kang, and Patrick Côté...

, and Nate Marquardt.

On 27 May 2011, it was revealed that Bisping would be one of the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Season 14
The Ultimate Fighter 14
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller is the fourteenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship -produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter....

, opposite to Jason Miller. Bisping is expected to face Jason Miller on December 3 2011 at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 3, 2011 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.-Background:...

.

Personal life

Bisping's grandfather Andrew (Andrzej) was a Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...

 noble, a military leader of the "Bishop's Pings" (hence "Bisping" and his nickname "The Count"). After World War II, Bisping's grandparents relocated to England. His father Jan was in the British military.

Bisping has three children, with his wife, Rebecca. Bisping's third child was born just before he set off to the USA for final preparation in his fight against Dan Miller
Dan Miller (fighter)
Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...

.

Bisping has family around the globe, including in Germany, England and the United States.

Mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

  • Cage Rage
    Cage Rage
    Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went bankrupt and is now no longer trading...

    • Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • Cage Warriors
    Cage Warriors
    Cage Warriors Fighting Championship or CWFC is a mixed martial arts promotion, based in London, England. Cage Warriors was established in 2001 and staged its first MMA event in London in July, 2002. Warrior Promotions, the organisation behind CWFC, is a UK management agency for MMA fighters...

    • Cage Warriors Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • FX3
    • FX3 Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • Ultimate Fighting Championship
    Ultimate Fighting Championship
    The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

    • The Ultimate Fighter 3
      The Ultimate Fighter 3
      The Ultimate Fighter 3 was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of Ultimate Fight Night 4. The season featured sixteen fighters with still-feuding former champion Tito Ortiz and...

       Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner
    • Fight of the Night (Three times)

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Win
|align=center| 21–3
| Jorge Rivera
Jorge Rivera (fighter)
Jorge Luis Rivera is an American mixed martial artist who was featured on The Ultimate Fighter 4. He holds victories over five former or future UFC title contenders; Travis Lutter, David Loiseau, Kendall Grove, Dennis Hallman and Nate Quarry.-Military career:19k Tank with A/1-70 Armor at Fort...


| TKO (punches)
| UFC 127
UFC 127
UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, 27 February 2011 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Due to the time zone difference it aired live on Saturday, 26 February in North America...


|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 1:54
| Sydney, Australia
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 20–3
| Yoshihiro Akiyama
Yoshihiro Akiyama
, born Choo Sung-hoon , is a Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. He is a fourth-generation Japanese of Korean descent and acquired Japanese nationality in 2001....


| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 120
UFC 120
UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The first ever UK UFC Fan Expo coincided with this event. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the U.S. and Canada...


|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| London, England
| Fight of the Night
|-
| Win
|align=center| 19–3
| Dan Miller
Dan Miller (fighter)
Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...


| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 114
UFC 114
UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 29, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center....


|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, Nevada
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 18–3
| Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...


| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 110
UFC 110
UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, 21 February 2010 in Sydney, Australia, at the Acer Arena. The event marked the UFC's first trip to Australia. The main card was scheduled for 2:00 pm Sunday in Sydney to cater...


|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Sydney, Australia
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 18–2
| Denis Kang
Denis Kang
Denis Kang is a Canadian mixed martial artist of Korean French descent. He was the PRIDE FC welterweight grand prix finalist in which he lost to Kazuo Misaki...


| TKO (punches and knees)
| UFC 105
UFC 105
UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 14, 2009 in Manchester, England at the Manchester Evening News Arena...


|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 4:24
| Manchester, Lancashire
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...


| Fight of the Night
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 17–2
| Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson
Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion...


| KO (punch)
| UFC 100
UFC 100
UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...


|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:20
| Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, Nevada
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 17–1
| Chris Leben
Chris Leben
Christian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....


| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 89
UFC 89
UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 18, 2008 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. The event was headlined by a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben...


|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, England
| Chris Leben was caught juicing after this fight.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 16–1
| Jason Day
Jason Day (fighter)
Jason Day is a Canadian mixed martial artist born in Lethbridge, Alberta. He has fought for a variety of Mixed martial arts promotions, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, TKO Major League MMA, and King of the Cage....


| TKO (punches)
| UFC 85
UFC 85
UFC 85: Bedlam was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , on June 7, 2008 at The O2 arena in London, England.-Background:...


|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:42
| London, England
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 15–1
| Charles McCarthy
| TKO (arm injury)
| UFC 83
UFC 83
UFC 83: Serra vs St-Pierre 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held on April 19, 2008, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. UFC 83 was the UFC's first event in Canada...


|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:00
| Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Quebec
| UFC Middleweight Debut
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 14–1
| Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...


| Decision (split)
| UFC 78
UFC 78
UFC 78: Validation was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , that took place on November 17, 2007 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey...


|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

, New Jersey
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 14–0
| Matt Hamill
Matt Hamill
Matthew S. Hamill is a retired American wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is a three-time NCAA Division III National Champion in wrestling while attending the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York...


| Decision (split)
| UFC 75
UFC 75
UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship.The event was held September 8, 2007 at The O2 in London, England. The event was on Setanta Sports 1 in the United Kingdom, TV4 Sport in Sweden, PPV1 in Ireland, and offered on tape delay on...


|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| London, England
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 13–0
| Elvis Sinosic
Elvis Sinosic
Elvis Sinosic is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist.-Biography:Born in Canberra, Elvis Sinosic now resides in Sydney, where he practises his martial arts training. Elvis was born to Croatian parents and is proud of his Croatian heritage...


| TKO (punches)
| UFC 70
UFC 70
UFC 70: Nations Collide was the second UFC event held in the United Kingdom, and the first in Manchester on Saturday, April 21, 2007. The first UFC event in the UK was UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall on July 13, 2002. UFC 70 was also only the seventh UFC event held outside the United States, and the...


|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 1:40
| Manchester, Lancashire
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...


| Fight of the Night
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–0
| Eric Schafer
Eric Schafer
Eric John Schafer is an American mixed martial artist who competes a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background and early career:Schafer attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh....


| TKO (punches)
| UFC 66
UFC 66
UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada .-Background:...


|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:24
| Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, Nevada
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–0
| Josh Haynes
Josh Haynes
Joshua Lee Haynes is an American mixed martial artist. He fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada with Xtreme Couture where he is also a coach. His MMA record is 17 wins, 11 losses. He was also a contestant on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter reality television show, training under Tito Ortiz...


| TKO (punches)
| The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 24, 2006. Featured were the finals from The Ultimate Fighter 3 in both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions as well as a main event between Kenny Florian and Sam Stout.During...


|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 4:14
| Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, Nevada
| Won The Ultimate Fighter 3
The Ultimate Fighter 3
The Ultimate Fighter 3 was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of Ultimate Fight Night 4. The season featured sixteen fighters with still-feuding former champion Tito Ortiz and...

 Light Heavyweight contest

|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–0
| Ross Pointon
Ross Pointon
Ross Pointon is an English mixed martial artist who holds a record of 6 wins and 12 losses. He was a competitor in season three of The Ultimate Fighter, fighting in the Light Heavyweight division after premiering in the Middleweight division under Ken Shamrock...


| Submission (armbar)
| CWFC: Strike Force 4
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:00
| Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...

, England
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–0
| Jakob Lovstad
| Submission (strikes)
| CWFC: Strike Force 3
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:10
| Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...

, England
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–0
| Miika Mehmet
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| CWFC: Strike Force 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:01
| Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...

, England
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–0
| Alex Cook
| Submission (choke)
| FX3: Xplosion
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:21
| Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....

, England
| Won FX3 Light Heavyweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
| Dave Radford
| TKO
| CWFC: Ultimate Force
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:46
| Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

, England
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
| Mark Epstein
| KO (punch)
| Cage Rage 9
Cage Rage 9
Cage Rage 9: No Mercy was a mixed martial arts event held by the Cage Rage Championships on November 27, 2004 at the Wembley Conference Centre in London, England.-Results:*Featherweight bout: Brad Pickett vs. Stuart Grant...

: No Mercy
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 4:43
| London, England
| Defended Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
| Andy Bridges
| KO
| P & G 3: Glory Days
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:45
| Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, England
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
| Mark Epstein
| TKO (punches and knees)
| Cage Rage 7: Battle of Britain
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 1:27
| London, England
| Won Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
| John Weir
| TKO
| UKMMAC 7: Rage & Fury
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:50
| Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, England
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
| Steve Mathews
| Submission (armbar)
| P & G 2: Battle of the Ages
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:38
| Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, England
|

External links

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