Michael Bisping's plan: 'Destroy Anderson Silva,' get long-awaited title shot

Michael Bisping has no doubt he’s going to have his way with Anderson Silva at UFC Fight Night 83. When he does, he said he plans to “demand” a UFC title shot.

Bisping (27-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) and Silva (33-6 MMA, 15-2 UFC) clash on Feb. 27 at London’s 02 Arena. The middleweight bout headlines the UFC Fight Pass-streamed event and marks the first time Bisping has fought in his native England since UFC 120 in October 2010.

The matchup has been brewing for several years, but it never came to fruition because of Silva’s previous position as UFC champion paired with Bisping’s struggles in key bouts.

Silva’s title reign is a thing of the past, though, and “The Spider” enters next month’s event on a three-fight winless skid and without a victory since October 2012. The Brazilian’s career has been harmed by recent controversy; for his January bout with Nick Diaz at UFC 183, Silva tested positive for a bevy of banned substances and returns from a yearlong suspension to fight Bisping.

It’s no secret Bisping has been a vocal critic of PED users throughout his career and has actually shared the octagon with a fair share of them under the UFC banner. He’s already thrown some shots in Silva’s direction, and he said he’s prepared to follow up on fight night.

Although being brash and outspoken is part of Bisping’s M.O., he said he’s particularly confident about this upcoming fight because of the way in which his preparation has gone so far. If that preparation translates into performance, Bisping said Silva is in big trouble and will represent the win he needs for an elusive title-fight opportunity.

“I’m going to destroy Anderson Silva; I’m telling you right now,” Bisping said on his radio show, “The Countdown,” on SiriusXM. “My camp’s going the best it’s ever been. I’m performing better. Mentally, I’m way better than I’ve ever been, and I’m going to destroy this guy. Then after that I’m going to get the people of London to cheer and make some goddamn noise and demand that I get a title shot.”

Bisping has been part of the UFC roster since 2006 but has never broke through the glass ceiling to solidify a title fight. He’s fallen short in title-eliminators against the likes of Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort at crucial points, but he’s never given up on his quest to be the best.

At 36 Bisping said he knows there are only so many title runs left in him. He’s currently on a two-fight winning streak with his more recent defeat coming to current UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in a grudge match at UFC Fight Night 55 in November 2014.

There’s no love lost between Bisping and Rockhold, and in the fight, Rockhold had his way when he landed a head kick early in the second round that dropped his opponent, and he followed with a fight-ending guillotine choke. To this day, however, Bisping still claims an illegal head butt hindered his vision and damaged his performance.

Rockhold will apparently be cageside for Bisping’s fight with Silva, according to Bisping. That means “The Count” will look to make an impression on the champ. Will a win over Silva mean a certain title shot? Bisping isn’t so sure, he said, but he’s going to do everything in his power to make it happen.

“I do believe that Luke Rockhold is going to be in the building when I fight Anderson Silva,” Bisping said. “Luke Rockhold and I have some unfinished business. He head-butted me in the first round. That’s what I’m looking for. Will the UFC give it to me? Probably not, but I’m going to try. I’m going to try.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 83, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.