Michael Bisping wants title shot, says he "was the better, more rounded fighter" at UFC 152

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Though Brian Stann felt he won the fight against Michael Bisping last Saturday night at UFC 152, it was the Brit walking out of Toronto with his hand raised. Bisping out-struck Stann through the three-round fight, save for one section where he got cracked by a big punch in the first round.

Bisping survived that slight moment of adversity, then showcased a well-rounded attack throughout the final ten minutes to take a clear unanimous decision. After the event, Bisping felt very good about the performance he put forth.

"I was really happy with it," Bisping said when speaking to Fuel TV's post-fight show. "Brian is a tough guy and he proved that tonight. I obviously wanted to finish the fight, but other than that it went the way I thought it would. I thought I would be faster to the punch, I thought I was a better technical fighter and I proved that. He hit me with a couple good shots. As I predicted, I was the better, more rounded fighter."

With the win, Bisping believes he deserves to be the number one contender for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Getting that fight depends on what Anderson Silva does following his bout with Stephan Bonnar next month, but Bisping believes the win made his case for him.

"I want to fight for the title," he said. "I have been here for a long time. I continue to win fights and do it impressively. I am a draw and I have been eyeing it for a long time. That is the fight I want."

Penick's Analysis: If Georges St-Pierre loses to Carlos Condit in November at UFC 154, I'd expect Anderson Silva to fight Bisping in early 2013. Silva wants a bigger fight, and while GSP is the bout he's eying, taking that away would put Bisping in line as the biggest name available for a bout. Others in the division would argue against him, staking their own claims for the Title fight. Of course, the timing works out in Bisping's favor, as the other two major middleweight bouts on the docket won't come until December. If St-Pierre-Silva happens next year, Bisping will more than likely face the Chris Weidman-Tim Boetsch winner to determine a definitive number one contender.

[Michael Bisping art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14471.shtml

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