UFC 210's Chris Weidman, Gegard Mousasi doubt Michael Bisping honors his ultimatum

Chris Weidman and Gegard Mousasi are skeptical of champ Michael Bisping fighting the No. 1 middleweight contender any time soon.

They believe Yoel Romero won’t get the call if Georges St-Pierre isn’t able to fight on Bisping’s timeline this summer, and there will be more spinning of wheels at the top of the division.

“No,” Weidman flatly told MMAjunkie when asked if he thought Bisping would follow through with an ultimatum to grant Romero the title shot if St-Pierre isn’t able to fight in early July.

Added Mousasi: “Bisping just talks. I don’t think he’s going to fight Yoel Romero, or he wants to delay it as much as possible. He said himself he’s going to retire in one or two fights.”

It’s true that the middleweight champ has put an expiration date on his career, and he’s looking to make his last appearances the most lucrative possible. That leaves guys like Weidman and Mousasi, who meet in the pay-per-view co-headliner of UFC 210 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., in something of a limbo.

St-Pierre’s out-of-nowhere title shot renewed criticism that the promotion is changing the way it does business, ignoring rankings and competitive merit in favor of box office punch. But Weidman (13-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) isn’t ready to say the system is rigged.

“I know you keep winning, and you get the title shot,” he said. “I’ve had it obviously before, and I didn’t expect to get it after losses. So it’s going to happen with wins. I think the sport’s changed a little bit with the belt system, but I don’t think it’s going to affect me.”

Mousasi  (41-6-2 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who’s seen several opponents dodge matchups during his UFC tenure, is a little more cynical. He still remains committed to the process, however.

“I need to get this win,” he said. “That’s the most important, and I’m ready. I’m more than ready. After that, it’s just a popularity contest. Let’s be honest – Yoel Romero is next, but he’s not getting his shot, simply because he doesn’t speak English, and he’s Cuban. Those things matter. But at the end of the day, I need to win. I need to do my job first, and we’ll see out it goes.”

Romero’s case is obviously the strongest for a title shot, and he’s wasted no time dogging Bisping at every chance. Weidman, coming off two losses, doesn’t have the same argument, and Mousasi, on a four-fight streak, knows he needs to brand-build a little more before he gets his chance.

So they’ll square off in a pivotal matchup and hope the natural order is restored at 185 pounds. Until that happens, they might be waiting a while.

“Obviously, (Bisping is) looking for a big fight to get a little bit of money,” Mousasi said. “You can’t blame the guy. He wants to take care of his family, make money. Good for him. But at the end of the day, the No. 1 contender has to get a shot.”

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