Bisping still battling after win in Scotland
UFC middleweight Michael Bisping wasn‘t ready to stop fighting after emerging victorious by split decision over Thales Leites in a five-round battle in the main event of the organization‘s first card in Scotland on Saturday.
Bisping came out swinging at the post-fight news conference.
A longtime critic of fighters who took advantage of the now-banned practice of testosterone replacement therapy, Bisping wants a chance to avenge losses to Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson, two of the poster boys for the treatment.
"As a fighter everybody wants to face the guys that have victories over them. Especially guys that have victories for unfair reasons," Bisping said."You know, they‘re all taking (TRT), they‘re all taking steroids, they‘re using their backsides like a dart board. They‘re cheating, scumbag (expletive)."
Belfort particularly drew Bisping’s ire.
"If you look at Vitor Belfort when I fought him he looked like a mix between a powerlifting champion and the Incredible Hulk. When he stepped in against Chris Weidman he looked like (an) out-of-shape, middle-aged man, like a dad who went to the gym once a week," Bisping said. "So there‘s certainly two different people. I would love to smash his face in and shut him up once and for all and get the revenge. I have no respect for that guy whatsoever. I think he‘s a piece of (expletive), is what I think.
"I‘m not sure I‘m getting the message across on how I feel about him."
On Monday, Belfort posted a picture of his knockout win over Bisping in 2013 on Instagram and accepted the challenge.
"If this guy from the pic wants another kick, punch etc. I am in!!! Let‘s shut their big mouth!!!" he wrote.
Also on Saturday‘s card, Las Vegan Evan Dunham won his second straight fight with a unanimous decision win over Ross Pearson.
ROUSEY NOT "CHASING" CYBORG
UFC women‘s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is preparing to defend the belt against Bethe Correia at UFC 190 on Aug. 1 in Rio de Janeiro, but another name continues to pop up.
Rousey was once again asked about the possibility of fighting Cris "Cyborg" Justino at some point in the future, though Justino has not yet proven she can make the 135-pound limit to compete at bantamweight.
"I hope (the fight does happen). I really do. But it‘s entirely up to her. I‘m not gonna go chasing her around. She‘s not entitled to have me chase her around. She‘s the fraud that got defamed. And if you can make 145 pumped full of steroids, you can get off of it and drop," Rousey said during a media gathering at her gym in Glendale, Calif. "I have this idea in my mind that my final fight would be just beating the crap out of Cris Cyborg and then when Dana puts the belt on me the last time, I can take it off and hand it back to him. But if she doesn‘t step up, I can move on and do other things in my life. She‘s the one who is going to fall into obscurity without me."
SWICK RETIRES
"The Ultimate Fighter" Season 1 contestant Mike Swick has officially announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
Swick, 36, lost a unanimous decision to Alex Garcia at UFC 189 on July 11 after more than two years out of competition.
"(That) was officially my final fight. I was healthy and injury free for the first time in eight years but still couldn’t put my game together," he posted on his Facebook page. "There comes a time when every fighter realizes he is older and not what he used to be and I want to acknowledge this and stay true and honest to what I have always said, that I will leave when I know I am done. It‘s a hard thing to do considering everyone wants to go out on top, unfortunately when you‘re actually on top, you never wanna go out.
"It‘s unfair to the UFC, the fans and to my family and friends for me to keep chasing this career while giving performances that I am not proud of."
Swick finishes his career with a 15-6 record, including 10-5 in the UFC. The Houston native opened a gym in Thailand in 2014 and plans to concentrate on running the business.
TITLE FIGHT ON FOX
UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw will defend the belt against former champ Renan Barao in the main event of a card in Chicago on Saturday.
Dillashaw knocked out Barao in May 2014 to take the belt. He has defended it just once as each fighter has had to pull out of scheduled rematches over the last year.
The event, which also features a matchup of women’s bantamweight contenders Miesha Tate and Jessica Eye, will air live on Fox (Cable 5) at 5 p.m.
The preliminary card will also air on the network, beginning at 3.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.
