Bisping considers his options

Eurosport - Wed, 19 Aug 15:29:00 2009

Michael Bisping has been left without an opponent for UFC 105 in his hometown Manchester after a proposed fight with Wanderlei Silva was scuppered.

2008 Michael Bisping fights Chris Leben at UFC 89 in Birmingham - 0

Brazilian legend Silva withdrew from the bout after being told he requires facial surgery, which could keep him out of action until the end of the year.

Bisping (pictured left) is looking to bounce back after taking a beating from Dan Henderson at UFC 100 in July in a fight to determine the next challenger to Anderson Silva's middleweight title.

Lancastrian Bisping - who now lives in Manchester - announced the news on his personal blog, and also said that he has yet to hear from the UFC about a possible replacement for the November 14 show.

Eurosport-Yahoo! takes a look at three potential options:

Winner of Damien Maia v Nate Marquardt

Although he might have to wait until early 2010, Henderson is now all-but guaranteed a second chance at Silva's middleweight belt.

The fight between Maia and Marquardt - at UFC 102 on August 29 in Portland, Oregon - appears to be a battle to see who is second in line, with UFC president Dana White confirming the winner of the bout will be "in the title mix".

Bisping is desperate for another big bout to prove he belongs in the middleweight elite after his disappointment against Henderson, but UFC could be reluctant for the Brit to remain so firmly in the title picture above more deserving challengers.

Alan Belcher

Considered a fighter close to Bisping and just outside the top-10 of the middleweight rankings, Belcher lost his UFC 100 fight against newcomer - but highly-regarded - Yoshihiro Akiyama, although many believe the American should have taken the decision.

Belcher's record reads a less-than-impressive 5-4 in the Octagon, but a superb win over Dennis Kang back in January served notice of his developing skills before the tight defeat to Akiyama.

Belcher might not be the marquee name Bisping is chasing, nor perhaps a big enough fight to justify top-billing in Manchester - but it would be a huge test of his ability and should make waves in the middleweight ranks.

Chael Sonnen

Oregon-born Sonnen is due a fight after his victory over Dan Miller back in May, and the wrestling stand-out would be itching to take a crack at Bisping after watching the way Henderson dealt with the Brit.

He is a fighter ranked top-10 by many after a superb career in the WEC before his February 2009 switch to the UFC, where he lost to Maia on his debut.

Sonnen's status across the Atlantic would make this a fairly appealing fight for UFC in terms of pay-per-views, although the British crowd might prefer a more recognisable face.

Alex Sharratt / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 3 of 3

Sort comments by: Most recent
  1. junie browning, two fuackin big mouths in the same­ ring, lets see which can back it up!!!!

    From d9tdv, on Wed 26 Aug 11:50AM
  2. I agree

    From Pat, on Tue 25 Aug 6:34PM
  3. silva was gona fight bisping or thiago alves, so why­ doesnt alves fight bisping then, it would be a good­ fight

    From aclarkeedi, on Fri 21 Aug 5:31PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account