Michael Bisping may have caught one of the biggest breaks of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career when Mark Munoz was forced to bow out of his match-up against Chael Sonnen, which was slated to be the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2 on Jan. 28, 2012.
With the opportunity to get a chance to fight 185-pound champion Anderson Silva on the line, the British brawler gladly accepted the offer to step in as replacement to face Sonnen in what will be an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight number one contender's match.
The match-up between two of the best trash talkers in the sport today, would be a promoter's dream come true, however, with only 10 days until fight night, there probably won't be too many verbal jabs aimed at one another, at least, not from Sonnen's side, who surprisingly says he is a fan of "The Count."
But that didn't stop Bisping from giving his predictions ahead of their anticipated showdown.
As he tells Fighters Only, Bisping welcomes the expected takedowns of the former NCAA All-American wrestler, because if he does get him to the ground, it will be a short night for Sonnen.
Check it out:
"I'm going to get the best Chael Sonnen possible I know that. But his jiu-jitsu won't be too slick. Chael Sonnen can take me down if he likes, because I know I can submit him off my back. I know I can. That's his big weakness. I may not have a black belt, but I consider myself a black belt. I've been rolling with Jake Shields, Dean Lister and a wash of other world champions. Believe me, if Chael Sonnen takes me down, he better be prepared to get submitted. Working with these guys recently, these top level jiu-jitsu guys, has really brought on my game and I am so comfortable on my back right now. In the past I have stood fights up a lot but the way I am training right now, I will be delighted if Chael takes me down. If he does, then it will be a short night for him."
Sonnen's last five defeats have come by submission. Furthermore, the fact that eight of his 11 losses have come via the tap may give Bisping the confidence to feel he has the advantage on the ground.
On the other hand, "The Count" has not had a submission win in over six years, but rolling with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) aces like Jake Shields and Dean Lister can only mean good things for Bisping's improving submission game.
Sonnen, meanwhile, proved that he does have a "slick" BJJ ground game by submitting Brian Stann at UFC 136 this past October via arm-triangle choke in the second round.
With the fight surely to go to the ground due to Sonnen's relentless takedown attempts, can Bisping back up his words and submit one of the strongest 185-pound fighters in the division? Or will Chael's ground control be too much for the brash Brit to handle?
Thoughts?