Many people think Chael Sonnen to be the greatest talker in MMA. However, this is a subject that is up for debate. Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping (22-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) also has the gift of gab. For some reason though, his banter never receives the attention, or the results that the affable Sonnen does. For many Bisping is easy to hate. He is brash, he talks smack, he is unapologetic and at times just a horses ass, but he has been a middleweight contender for five years now so his skill must be respected.
Bisping exploded on to the scene during the Ultimate Fighter by winning the season 3 light heavyweight tournament, and then later enforced his status as a coach against Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller season 14. The exposure on television provided ‘The Count’ with a stage. His heel character seemed to develop naturally. Unlike the Sonnen who at times appears charming, Bisping’s antics seem to infuriate fans. He has started numerous feuds. Even recently with the entire Alpha Male team on twitter:
Bisping @bisping
@ufc urijah favour,Joseph benavidez and the rest of the munchkin crew talk s— cos theyre stuck in the body’s of pre pubescent boys
and I’ll take the Pepsi challenge with smug faced little shit any time.
Faber then responded:
Urijah Faber @UrijahFaber
Thought we were buddies @bisping I know u can dish it out but can’t take it back @ufc ur like a spoiled 3rd grader. Grow up.
Then later on he decided to take aim at the rest of the middleweight division. With Chris Weidman being declared the #1 contender the British fighter was vexed. “He knocked out a fat Mark Munoz, who was out of shape and coming back off a long layoff because of injury,” Bipsing recently told MMAjunkie.com “He elbowed a fat Mark Munoz and now he’s the great white hype? Just because he elbowed an out-of-shape fat man? ” Only Bisping can anger two legitimate contenders with one sentence.
Apparently, Bisping embraces his role as the most hated fighter in MMA. However he never seems to get the shot. Other trash talkers such as Josh Koscheck, and Chael Sonnen were able to parlay their hype-based talk into title shots. Why has Bisping been unable too? The answer is simple. His brash attitude lacks the jovial charisma that the other fighters possess. Sonnen’s ridiculous claims, fake title belt, and Ali-like rhyming schemes make people laugh. His over the top claims are impossible to believe, yet charming. Josh Koscheck’s seems to enjoy the hate, and that in itself is charismatic. He acts like the Ric Flair of MMA, and his skills and mouth have earned him the title shots.
Unlike those two, Bisping comes off as a bully. His brash talk and unapologetic manner are not endearing to fans, or fight makers. Simply put, he is a tough guy to like. However his skills cannot be denied, his record against the best fighters in the world enforces his claims. Maybe he should close his mouth and earn the fight the old fashioned way. One has to wonder if it would have already happened. had he done so earlier in his career.
THE CLINCH REPORT 