Michael "The Count" Bisping never lacks strong opinions.
Speaking with MMAJunkie.com ahead of his UFC 186 bout against C.B. Dollaway, Bisping discussed his matchup and other key upcoming tilts in the middleweight division.
The UFC's 185-pound class was recently showcased on national television at UFC on Fox 15, where No. 1 middleweight Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza submitted Chris Camozzi in the night's co-main event, and top-five middleweights Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Luke Rockhold squared off in the main event.
Like Jacare, Rockhold blitzed his foe, scoring a submission victory in the second round after rocking Machida twice in Round 1. Unfortunately for both winners, the UFC has yet to commit to the next middleweight title challenger. Both Jacare and Rockhold showed up and took care of business in impressive fashion, and now, the organization must weigh its options to determine the next title contender.
To Bisping, the choice is Rockhold, and he believes Rockhold could give current champion Chris Weidman fits inside the Octagon. Per MMA Junkie's Rick Lee at a UFC 186 media luncheon Monday, Bisping said:
Rockhold and Weidman, listen, I'm not convinced on Weidman yet, I'm sorry. I know he's getting a little smug up there the longer he's the champion. It's starting to go to his head a little bit, you know? I would take that belt off him in a heartbeat, and I'd probably favor Luke in that fight.
Michael Bisping Would Be More Than Happy To Shut Up Jacare After He's Done With C.B. Dollaway (@DuaneFinleyMMA): http://t.co/U2fKx7spoR
— Bleacher Report MMA (@BR_MMA) April 20, 2015
Since Bisping believes he'd snatch Weidman's belt "in a heartbeat," it comes as no surprise that he also believes he has the tools to take care of Dollaway on Saturday evening in Montreal.
"I'm going to look to put him away as fast as possible and in as entertaining a fashion as possible," Bisping said. "Dollaway hasn't got the best chin, I'm just going to throw it out there. I think once I start connecting with Dollaway, he's going to be in trouble.
"After a while, he's going to realize, 'Man, I can't win this fight,' and he's going to crumble. He's going to crumble and he's going to let me win this fight."
Dollaway, of course, disagrees with Bisping. While he is coming off a devastating knockout loss to Machida at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway, the former Arizona State wrestler is confident in his skill set. He sees a victory against Bisping in his future, and he knows exactly what he must do to achieve it.
"I'm not going to give you details about [my fight plan for Bisping], but we have a way to take him down," Dollaway told Fox Sports Arizona's Alexa Tieu. "I just want to prove that I belong in the title picture and I know a win over Michael Bisping will put me back in that title picture. An impressive victory will leap frog me up there."
Currently, Dollaway is ranked No. 11 in the UFC's official rankings, while Bisping sits one spot ahead at No. 10.
As such, it's a little premature to talk about either man as a title challenger. Even with a highlight-reel finish at UFC 186, it's hard to picture either fighter getting a title shot without at least one or two more victories.
Neither man has ascended to the top of the middleweight division during their lengthy UFC stints, but both have come close. Dollaway's matchup against Machida, should he have pulled out the victory, likely would have put him in a No. 1 contender's bout for the championship.
Bisping, meanwhile, is never far from title talks. He's confident in himself, and he's unafraid to speak his mind, generating significant buzz and publicity for himself every time he gets on a roll inside the cage. Like Dollaway, should Bisping have won his last fight against Rockhold at UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping, we may be talking about him as a title contender right now.
As it stands, though, both men desperately need a victory at UFC 186 to stay relevant in the UFC's ever-deepening middleweight division. Even with a win, a future title shot is no guarantee, but a loss almost certainly closes the book on that opportunity.
Who do you favor in this matchup? Is Dollaway's wrestling enough to take Bisping to the ground and control him there? Will Bisping take Dollaway to school on the feet?
Sound off, and we'll discuss Saturday's co-main event.
