Michael Bisping: 5 Defining Moments

Michael Bisping, it seems, loves to be hated. The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s consummate villain, Bisping has enjoyed a remarkable run over the last decade. The 37-year-old Englishman used a reality show as his springboard and has since become one of MMA’s most consistent and prolific fighters. Bisping’s 19 victories inside the Octagon tie him with Georges St. Pierre for first on the UFC’s all-time list, while his 26 appearances rank third behind only Tito Ortiz and Frank Mir, both with 27. “The Count” also stands out from a statistical standpoint: According to FightMetric, Bisping has landed more significant strikes (1,414) than any fighter in UFC history. A former Cage Rage and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder, he will defend the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight crown against Dan Henderson in the UFC 204 main event on Saturday at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.In a career with plenty of defining moments, here are five that stand out:1. Fortune Favors the Bold They say fortune favors the bold. It certainly shined upon Bisping at UFC 199 on June 4. Forever in search of an elusive title shot, he filled in on short notice for an injured Chris Weidman and challenged Luke Rockhold for the middleweight championship at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Rockhold, who had submitted Bisping with a one-arm guillotine choke in November 2014, entered the cage as a prohibitive -900 favorite. The odds mattered little to the Brit. Bisping cut down Rockhold with punches 3:36 into the first round, as he shocked the MMA world and completed his unlikely ascent to the top of the UFC’s middleweight division. “I always knew I was at this level. I’ve had my ups and downs and I’ve lost some fights along the way, but I still believed,” Bisping said. “I still always dusted myself off and built myself back up. I know I’ve had a lot of detractors and a lot …

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