Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping is one of the best mixed martial arts fighters to come out of the United Kingdom. Born on the 28th of February, 1979, he fights out of Liverpool England. Bisping initially started his training at an early age in Jiu-jitsu in the association Yawara Ryu where they emphasised both striking as well as submission grappling. From the age of 8 all the way to 18, he competed successfully within this system of competition under the guidance of Paul Lloyd Davies. At the age of 18 Michael “The Count” Bisping stopped Yawara Ryu and took interest in Kickboxing. He trained with Alan Clarking at the Black Knights gym in Burnley for about a year.

Bisping Competed in Kickboxing and won the North West area title and the Pro British. Following another break he resumed training when he was about 20, and went on to win the British light-heavyweight title for the second year running.

Michael “the Count” Bisping made his professional debut in the world of MMA in a UK mixed martial arts event called Pride and Glory in 2004 against Steve Mathews. He would win this match easily. His second match was against Mark Weir in MMA Challenge 7, which he would win by a knockout. Bisping would go one to notch up several consecutive wins and become the Cage Rage champion by defeating Mark Epstein. This victory made him one of the top MMA fighters in the UK. Fighting in Cage Rage as well as other lesser tournaments allowed him to build a record with 12 consecutive wins with no defeats. This record would allow him to become recognized on the world MMA scene.

In 2006 Michael Bisping was approached by the UFC to appear in their network broadcast of The Ultimate Fighter 3. This allowed him to showcase his talents against other up and coming MMA fighters. Michael Bisping would fight and win all three fights and become the Light Heavy Weight winner of that show. The price being a six figure contract with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships).

The next few years are going to be very important for Bisping as he will be put up against world class opponents. His success early on will determine his future in this tough sport. If his past is anything to go by, then the United Kingdom may already have a potential world champion.