UFC Contenders Rockhold And Bisping Come To Blows Down Under
AUSTRALIA (105.3 THE FAN) -- Tonight in Australia, UFC middleweight contender Luke Rockhold takes on Michael Bisping (UFC Fight Pass, 9pm CT/7pm PT) in a main event that not only has title implications, but serves to settle a feud that has been brewing between the two fighters for some time.
Listen to Richard Hunter talk to Luke Rockhold about tonight's main event in Sydney:
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Rockhold (#5 UFC) is the former Strikeforce middleweight champion, and when that organization was purchased and then dissolved by The UFC's parent company Zuffa, he migrated over to The UFC Octagon. He's won two straight fights by first round stoppage, after stumbling in his UFC debut by getting knocked out by Vitor Belfort, who challenges for Chris Weidman's middleweight title early next year.
Training with the highly respected AKA camp in San Jose, California, his camp mates include heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and light heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier. The competitive nature of AKA has him well prepared to face a man who holds the dubious distinction of accruing the most UFC wins (15) without receiving a title shot. He's been one win away from a title shot on two previous occasions, and he knows that a win over Rockhold would place him in serious consideration for a third. There's an equal amount of title shot consideration on the line for Rockhold.
Bisping (#8 UFC) is a striker, possessing some of the best pure boxing and movement in the entire organization. Rockhold is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and in Velasquez and Cormier, he trains with two of the UFC's best wrestlers. Most of the advantages on paper go to Rockhold, and that has installed him as a betting favorite. To realize that prognostication, however, he will have to overcome Bisping's tricky movement and speedy hands.
Rockhold and Bisping have been feuding on social media for some time now, exhibiting an open hostility and genuine dislike for one another. Bisping has historically been one of the most brash and polarizing fighters in all of mixed martial arts, and Rockhold has shown no desire to back down from him. It's the kind of fight that sells itself on multiple levels, and tonight subscribers toThe UFC's Fight Pass on line platform will be treated to a battle that promises to deliver on action.
Follow Richard Hunter on Twitter for breaking MMA news and live fight updates.
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