UFC 204 Preview

Just 5 months ago, Michael Bisping turned the MMA world upside down. He became England’s first UFC Champion in a stunning upset when he knocked out the man who previously beaten him, Luke Rockhold. The UFC has had it’s fair share of top level British talent make waves in the organization through out the years, from Lee Murray to Dan Hardy, and Ian Freeman to Paul Daley. I think it’s safe to say now, when you think of British MMA the first name that comes to mind is Michael Bisping. Since Bisping won the Ultimate Fighter Season 3 as a member of Tito Ortiz, he skyrocketed to stardom in the UFC. Main eventing many events for the company and remaining a key figure in the middleweight division for years, he cemented his name near Hall of Fame status. Despite all of this, the one thing that alluded Michael Bisping for years was getting a title shot, but that changed when he stepped in for Chris Weidman on two weeks notice for UFC 199. Previously, whenever Michael Bisping would get close to a title shot he would come up short in #1 contender fights. In one particular fight, Bisping was on the verge of a title shot but ended up being on the receiving end of one of the most devastating knock outs in UFC history, against the man he will defend his championship against this Saturday, Dan Henderson.

The rivalry of Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping dates back to when they coached against each other on The Ultimate Fighter Season 9, which was billed as Team England vs. Team USA. On the show you could tell Henderson and Bisping were polar opposites of each other, with Bisping being a cocky loud mouth who likes to speak his mind without filter, while Henderson was a quiet man who rather let his fists speak for him. When you have two different personalities like that forced to deal with each other in a competitive nature, you are bound to see conflict. For weeks you saw this rivalry build up until eventually they faced each other at the milestone UFC 100 card. During the fight, Michael Bisping constantly went against his cornerman’s instructions, often circling to Dan Henderson’s favorite weapon (his right hand), with his hands down low, leaving him open for what Henderson has made a career of: brutal knock outs. In the second round, Bisping’s overconfidence and disregard of his corner’s instructions cost him and he was knocked out by a brutal overhand right which was followed up by another deadly punch when Bisping dropped to the ground. 

For years this loss haunted Bisping, through memes and fans often reminding him about the loss. Now, Bisping has a chance for redemption and to erase the loss that eats away at him everyday. I personally question this title fight, as Dan Henderson is 46 years old, and before being offered the title shot was all set to retire on top after he knocked out Hector Lombard on the same card Bisping won the Middleweight championship back in June at UFC 199. On paper, though, this fight makes sense as it has the perfect story and build up going into the fight. The legend Dan Henderson’s last chance to accomplish the only title thateludes him in his storied career, a UFC Championship, and Michael Bisping’s shot at redemption whileavenging the most devastating loss in his career. I feel that in the process they are screwing over Jacare Souza, who has done more than enough to earn title including wins over the co main eventers of this card, Vitor Belfort and Gegard Mousasi. Despite all of that I can’t deny that I am intrigued about how this fight will play out this Saturday.

In the co-main event, two of the top middleweight fighters, Vitor Belfort and Gegard Mousasi look to stay relevant in the middleweight division with the hopes of receiving a middleweight shot. While Belfort has had 2 shots at the UFC Middleweight Championship, Gegard Mousasi, whose UFC career has been somewhat underachieving, looks to try and move past that with what would be a big win over the legendary Vitor Belfort. Despite being only 31 years old, Gegard Mousasi is a long time veteran of the sport having fought since he was 17 years old. Mostly making a name for himself overseas, Mousasi displayed well rounded MMA skills despite being known mainly for his striking ability. Having fought in PRIDE, Dream, and Strikeforce, Mousasi garnered a lot of hype before going into the UFC. Since arriving he has had his fair share of success with wins over top middleweights such as Thales Leites, Mark Munoz, Costas Philippou and a brutal TKO stoppage over the man fighting for the middleweight championship on this card, Dan Henderson. Mousasi also shares the same problems Bisping had in the past: once he gets close to the title shot he comes up short in #1 contender fights. With a win over Belfort, Mousasi has a chance to put that behind him and get closer to what he signed with the UFC for, a chance at the championship.

As for Belfort, this is his last chance at glory. With a loss to Mousasi who knows where his career will be headed in a middleweight division that has young, up and coming lions looking to receive a title shot.Though Belfort‘s legacy is already cemented and he has nothing left to prove in this sport, I know he wants to be mentioned with BJ Penn and Randy Couture as two division world champions as it would mean even more to his already established resume. But, he needs to win over Mousasi to stay relevant in the division. Should he lose here he may not ever get back to a position where he could be fighting for a title.

As for the other fights on the card, there are some fun fights to watch out for, in particular Danny Roberts/Mike Perry, Alcantara/Pickett, and Saint Preux/Manuwa. All in all this is a very intriguing card, but this will more so affect the middleweight division heading into 2017 more than anything. All in all this is a can’t miss fight card in my opinion and I definitely would recommend the casual fan watching.

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