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Blog - Michael Bisping
By Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping
I am writing this from my hotel room in Las Vegas, just a couple of days away from the TUF
The Method to Diego Sanchez's Perceived Madness
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Got Heart? Frank Lester Does
9 finale. I was out doing PR work at UFC 99 in Germany last weekend, so hence this blog, the last in the series ladies and gentlemen, will cover the last two episodes of TUF 9 and throw forward to Saturday’s finale.
The episode 11 fight between Team UK’s Andre Winner and Cameron Dollar went the way I expected. Cameron and I have thrown a few barbs at each other, but, watching the series I don’t think he’s a bad guy at all. I respect the way he admits he gets nervous before fights; it takes a man to do that on international TV. I read somewhere once that bravery isn’t the absence of fear, it is the conquest of it and Cameron can clearly conquer his fears.
But Dre is one of the standout talents of the entire series and I expected him to dominate. I didn’t know Cameron was so badly hurt to the ribs, and, let me be honest, if I did I would have come up with the strategy to attack his ribs. Sorry, but this is the UFC, not the Scouts, and I have tried to teach my team to take every advantage.
As it was, Dre bossed the fight anyway. His striking is great, and even when Cameron eventually got a takedown, Dre locked in a triangle and took the win.
Both teams now had one fighter each in the finals, and we were determined to make sure not to lose another fight. I honestly felt we could have had an all Team UK finale, and I was adamant that we’d fill three of the four spots in the finale bouts.
Ross Pearson was up next against Dan Henderson-trained Jason Dent. I had a feeling Dent had coasted a little in his previous bouts and he admitted as much, but I believe Ross and Dre were the best two lightweights on the show and believed we’d have an all UK final.
Have to admit my heart sank when Ross popped his arm out of socket. I was thinking ‘Oh my God! He’s out of the competition!’ but then he calmly told me to push it back in and said it happens all the time, like dislocating your shoulder is a minor inconvenience like forgetting a fresh pair of socks for training. Crazy. But that’s Ross, he’s a tough little so-and-so.
The fight itself was a war, with Dana saying it was one of the best in TUF history. I’m happy Ross used his takedowns and ground game so well, proving that British fighters aren’t just kickboxers in a cage. It was a great fight and, at the end, it was close friends Ross Pearson and Dre Winner in an all UK finale.
In episode 12, the finale bout of the show was James Wilks in a rematch with Frank Lester. I’ve already blogged about my respect for Frank coming back and getting back in the running despite having his teeth knocked out, but for him to come back and now face the man who did that to him – James – tells you all you need to know about Frank’s heart.
I was very confident going into the fight. Not only had James beaten him before – just a few weeks before – but he had inflicted serious punishment on him. I knew Frank would be up for revenge, but at the same time, he wasn’t anywhere near 100%.
The fight was another battle. Both teams were desperate to win the last fight of the series. I thought James won the first round with his jab, and Frank got into the fight more in a cracking second round. But James was the fresher man who knew how to pace himself, and at the start of the third you could see Frank was struggling. A big knee later and Team UK had won the final bout of TUF 9.
I think James will beat DaMarques Johnson this Saturday, although DaMarques was the standout on the other team. I should make it clear that the “hatred” between DaMarques and me has been played up a little. We don’t know each other well enough to dislike each other. Actually, he came up to me after he won his semi-final and said he respected me as a fighter, and I told him he’d just fought an amazing fight. There’s no big issue between us; I just think we’re two guys who flap our gums a lot who happened to throw a few zingers.
I’m not going to get overly emotional and call them “my kids” but I just want to say I am very proud of Team UK. Everyone was writing us off, there were some big-name writers even predicting that the Brits would be history by the semi-final stage, and yet we’ve won this series 3-1 and could end up with both contracts Saturday night.
For me, it was never about beating the other team; it was about doing my best to help these guys reach for the opportunity of a lifetime. There were a lot of people dismissing not only the UK team but also myself and my coaches as being out of our depth going up against a team trained by a legit MMA legend in Dan Henderson.
But hard work and self-belief can take you a long way in MMA, and in life to be honest.
I’ve loved coming back to TUF, where it all started for me, and being a coach. It has been an honour. I would do it again, but maybe in a few years. Two months away from my fiancée and kids is hard.
There have been highs and lows during the series. I did some things right, and I made mistakes too.
I think I proved I am the better coach and at least as good a tactician as Dan Henderson, and all that remains is to prove I am the better man in the Octagon at UFC 100 on July 11.
Dan and I have thrown a couple of barbs at each other, but if any two guys spend so much time together – even best friends – they’d get on each other’s nerves. I like him, and who doesn’t respect the guy for what he’s done in his career. There’s no bad blood between us, but that’s not to say I won’t fight him tooth and claw come UFC 100. I want to take my career to the next level, and a win over him does that. Dan Henderson is going down July 11.
I hope you enjoyed these blogs, and TUF 9. Whether you wanted me and my team to succeed or you were behind Dan and his guys, I hope I was entertaining television either way. Throughout the whole series, and just like during TUF 3 three years ago, I never played up to the camera. I was just me, Michael Bisping.
Thanks for reading.
By Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping
I am writing this from my hotel room in Las Vegas, just a couple of days away from the TUF
The Method to Diego Sanchez's Perceived Madness
Good time Guida In It For More Than Just Kicks
Got Heart? Frank Lester Does
9 finale. I was out doing PR work at UFC 99 in Germany last weekend, so hence this blog, the last in the series ladies and gentlemen, will cover the last two episodes of TUF 9 and throw forward to Saturday’s finale.
The episode 11 fight between Team UK’s Andre Winner and Cameron Dollar went the way I expected. Cameron and I have thrown a few barbs at each other, but, watching the series I don’t think he’s a bad guy at all. I respect the way he admits he gets nervous before fights; it takes a man to do that on international TV. I read somewhere once that bravery isn’t the absence of fear, it is the conquest of it and Cameron can clearly conquer his fears.
But Dre is one of the standout talents of the entire series and I expected him to dominate. I didn’t know Cameron was so badly hurt to the ribs, and, let me be honest, if I did I would have come up with the strategy to attack his ribs. Sorry, but this is the UFC, not the Scouts, and I have tried to teach my team to take every advantage.
As it was, Dre bossed the fight anyway. His striking is great, and even when Cameron eventually got a takedown, Dre locked in a triangle and took the win.
Both teams now had one fighter each in the finals, and we were determined to make sure not to lose another fight. I honestly felt we could have had an all Team UK finale, and I was adamant that we’d fill three of the four spots in the finale bouts.
Ross Pearson was up next against Dan Henderson-trained Jason Dent. I had a feeling Dent had coasted a little in his previous bouts and he admitted as much, but I believe Ross and Dre were the best two lightweights on the show and believed we’d have an all UK final.
Have to admit my heart sank when Ross popped his arm out of socket. I was thinking ‘Oh my God! He’s out of the competition!’ but then he calmly told me to push it back in and said it happens all the time, like dislocating your shoulder is a minor inconvenience like forgetting a fresh pair of socks for training. Crazy. But that’s Ross, he’s a tough little so-and-so.
The fight itself was a war, with Dana saying it was one of the best in TUF history. I’m happy Ross used his takedowns and ground game so well, proving that British fighters aren’t just kickboxers in a cage. It was a great fight and, at the end, it was close friends Ross Pearson and Dre Winner in an all UK finale.
In episode 12, the finale bout of the show was James Wilks in a rematch with Frank Lester. I’ve already blogged about my respect for Frank coming back and getting back in the running despite having his teeth knocked out, but for him to come back and now face the man who did that to him – James – tells you all you need to know about Frank’s heart.
I was very confident going into the fight. Not only had James beaten him before – just a few weeks before – but he had inflicted serious punishment on him. I knew Frank would be up for revenge, but at the same time, he wasn’t anywhere near 100%.
The fight was another battle. Both teams were desperate to win the last fight of the series. I thought James won the first round with his jab, and Frank got into the fight more in a cracking second round. But James was the fresher man who knew how to pace himself, and at the start of the third you could see Frank was struggling. A big knee later and Team UK had won the final bout of TUF 9.
I think James will beat DaMarques Johnson this Saturday, although DaMarques was the standout on the other team. I should make it clear that the “hatred” between DaMarques and me has been played up a little. We don’t know each other well enough to dislike each other. Actually, he came up to me after he won his semi-final and said he respected me as a fighter, and I told him he’d just fought an amazing fight. There’s no big issue between us; I just think we’re two guys who flap our gums a lot who happened to throw a few zingers.
I’m not going to get overly emotional and call them “my kids” but I just want to say I am very proud of Team UK. Everyone was writing us off, there were some big-name writers even predicting that the Brits would be history by the semi-final stage, and yet we’ve won this series 3-1 and could end up with both contracts Saturday night.
For me, it was never about beating the other team; it was about doing my best to help these guys reach for the opportunity of a lifetime. There were a lot of people dismissing not only the UK team but also myself and my coaches as being out of our depth going up against a team trained by a legit MMA legend in Dan Henderson.
But hard work and self-belief can take you a long way in MMA, and in life to be honest.
I’ve loved coming back to TUF, where it all started for me, and being a coach. It has been an honour. I would do it again, but maybe in a few years. Two months away from my fiancée and kids is hard.
There have been highs and lows during the series. I did some things right, and I made mistakes too.
I think I proved I am the better coach and at least as good a tactician as Dan Henderson, and all that remains is to prove I am the better man in the Octagon at UFC 100 on July 11.
Dan and I have thrown a couple of barbs at each other, but if any two guys spend so much time together – even best friends – they’d get on each other’s nerves. I like him, and who doesn’t respect the guy for what he’s done in his career. There’s no bad blood between us, but that’s not to say I won’t fight him tooth and claw come UFC 100. I want to take my career to the next level, and a win over him does that. Dan Henderson is going down July 11.
I hope you enjoyed these blogs, and TUF 9. Whether you wanted me and my team to succeed or you were behind Dan and his guys, I hope I was entertaining television either way. Throughout the whole series, and just like during TUF 3 three years ago, I never played up to the camera. I was just me, Michael Bisping.
Thanks for reading.