Michael Bisping has always been the owner of one of the UFC's biggest mouths but to say that it has been amplified since he wrestled the middleweight title away from Luke Rockhold last June would be an understatement.
The Mancunian, who defends his title against Dan Henderson in Manchester in October, comes from a long line of 'trash talkers' in the UFC which also includes the likes of Tito Ortiz, Chael Sonnen and numerous others, fighters whose verbal beatdowns were sometimes as entertaining as the brawls they took part in.
Of course, ever since the rise of Conor McGregor, the ability to talk up your fights, rivalries and just about anything else, has become part and parcel of the UFC's marketing machine.
And, as Bisping claims, without him Conor McGregor wouldn't have had nearly the same impact as he has done over the course of these past three years.
Speaking to the Metro, Bisping said:
I motivate Conor McGregor. When Conor McGregor was learning to stand to throw his first punch, I was kicking ass in the UFC. I’ve been at this a lot longer, so I motivate Conor McGregor. I inspire him. If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t exist. He would be working for minimum wage at the docks in Dublin.
'The Count' did reserve some praise for the Irishman whose influence has propelled the sport of mixed martial arts in this part of the world to new heights, though he clearly couldn't resist throwing out a little dig at McGregor.
Conor McGregor comes up to my waist and he weighs about the same as my little finger, so I’d snap his neck like a twig. But, he’s a cool guy. He’s a great fighter. He brings a lot of excitement.
He’s been great for the sport. He brings a lot of eyes. Listen, he’s very watchable, he’s very sellable. He brings a lot of excitement and he delivers, I’m a fan.
Hmm. Given McGregor's recent enthusiasm for taking fights outside of his natural weight class, who's to say that he's not beyond a trip up to the middleweight division one of these days?
[Metro]
