Ask and you shall receive ...
Michael Bisping demanded to face a "top fighter" after his devastating knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 on July 11. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva was apparently listening and willing to satisfy that request.
Big time.
Wanderlei Silva is currently the front-runner on a short list of potential candidates to face Bisping in the main event at UFC 105 from the Manchester Evening News (MEN) Arena in Manchester, England, on Nov. 14, MMAmania.com has confirmed after a SunSport article about the match up appeared just yesterday.
Talk about jumping right back on the horse.
However, according to Silva's manager via Fighter's Only Magazine, Silva would prefer to wait until February 2010 before returning to action.
Here's a snip:
"The rumors about Wanderlei fighting Michael Bisping at UFC 105 in Manchester or at any point are simply that, rumors. For some publication to say they have been given an exclusive statement on this from Team Wand is not truthful. This fight has not been discussed or offered to us by the UFC. Wand's preference is to fight in February. He wants to take time off to heal his body and mind, and with his new gym in Las Vegas, he has business affairs and a growing team to attend to."
Whether or not the middleweight contest comes to fruition now appears to be about timing, and of course, money.
Even though Silva has lost five of his last six fights, he's an extremely aggressive and dangerous fighter who is capable of ending things early. In fact, "The Axe Murderer" has a technical knockout percentage of more than 70 in his 43 professional mixed martial arts bouts.
He'll likely look to up that "Count" against a potential bout against Bisping ... especially in front of a potentially hostile British crowd.
UFC 105 will be the first show held at the MEN Arena since UFC 70: "Nations Collide," which featured one of the sport’s biggest upsets when Gabriel Gonzaga defeated Mirko Filipovic via crushing head kick.
It appears that the promotion is looking to ensure that United Kingdom fans are treated to even more fireworks, while stateside fans get to enjoy the show for free via tape-delay on Spike TV.
Whether it's Silva or some other "big name" opponent for the local product, who is looking to get back in the 185-pound title picture sooner rather than later.
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