The Savage Truth: Making the Most of a Bad Situation

I assume you’ve all heard: Michael Bisping will fill in for an injured Chris Weidman at UFC 199 on June 4 in Los Angeles. I know 18 months can seem like and eternity, but the absolute mauling now-champion Luke Rockhold hung on “The Count” is still as fresh as a daisy in my mind. I can’t help thinking this is a bit of a bye for the champ, but what did anyone think was going to happen when half of the main event fell out with less than three weeks to go? It’s not like there were a ton of options, with Ronald Souza just fighting in Brazil on May 14, not to mention a possible knee injury he has to get checked out. Another potential title contender, Yoel Romero, is on the shelf until June 12, having negotiated a six-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in his December fight with “Jacare.” Yet another feasible contender, Lyoto Machida, is also locked up in the United States Anti-Doping Agency dungeon after admitting to taking DHEA last month. As you can see, the cupboard was pretty bare. Enter Bisping. The affable Brit is coming off a very nice win over the legendary Anderson Silva, or perhaps I should say the once-legendary Anderson Silva. Either way, it was a huge win for the middleweight and buoyed his chances at the seemingly elusive title shot he has been seeking for years. Much to our surprise and chagrin, the Weidman news hit like a sack full of Mark Coleman head butts, but not for ol’ Bisping. While I’m sure he wasn’t happy Weidman was injured, you can bet your Union Jack he was stoked to get the call to replace him. While I would have much preferred to see “Jacare” …

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