Michael Bisping is still holding out hope of putting together a bout with Georges St-Pierre and if the UFC has to put together an interim title in the meantime, that doesn’t seem to bother him at all.
Michael Bisping says he still hasn’t spoken to Dana White & co. about the potential demise of his bout with Georges St-Pierre, but it sounds like he’s a little more clued in on the reality that the fight may be scrapped altogether. Even if that’s the case, however, it doesn’t sound like Bisping is expecting to be ready to fight any sooner than this fall.
In a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast, the ‘Count” told listeners that while he can see the writing on the wall for his GSP fight being scrapped, he’s still hoping he can get the fight made. And if, in the meantime, the UFC has to put together an interim title fight between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker, well that’d be fine too (transcript via MMA Fighting).
“I’m assuming that they’re probably gonna do an interim title fight but I’ve got to speak to Dana. . . Probably Whittaker vs. Yoel, if I were the matchmakers, that’s what I’d do. Whittaker, we all know this, he’s on an absolute tear. I’ve got nothing against Robert Whittaker. Fine young man, great fighter, fights hard, got a lot of respect for him. Can’t say the same about Yoel. Yoel is certainly not on my Christmas card list. We all know my thoughts on him. He’s a scumbag, he’s a cheat, and that’s that. So if they do fight I, hope Whittaker beats the brains out of him.”
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“It probably isn’t happening,” Bisping said of his planned bout with GSP, “but let’s not give up all hope. It’s not done. We’re gonna have the conversation, I’m gonna put my best foot forward that I should still fight GSP. That is my objective. When I speak to Dana, I’m gonna say ‘Dana, I feel like you owe me this fight.’ We had a deal. I fought everybody they put in front of me my whole career, I’ve been a soldier for the organization, so we’ll see what happens.”
If the UFC still has to wait for October for both GSP and Bisping to fight again, will they keep the fight on the table? Right now it doesn’t seem likely, with more recent talk from Dana White trending toward having GSP make his comeback in a welterweight title fight now. But, as always with the UFC’s attempts at long term fight planning, time has a way of changing even the best laid plans.