Michael Bisping turned down Cung Le bout, thinks Tim Boetsch is a harder fight than Mark Munoz

Sounds like Joe Rogan wasn't the only one impressed with Tim Boetsch's miracle comeback against Yushin Okami at the UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view (PPV) event last month.

Perennial middleweight in-the-mix'er Michael Bisping, who fights "The Barbarian" at UFC 148 on July 7 in Las Vegas, also thinks the former light heavyweight is one tough dude.

And perhaps an even bigger challenge than fellow 185-pound contender Mark Munoz, who may now have the answer as to why he was recently "passed over."

"The Count" told ESPN's UFC Podcast (via Telegraph.co.uk) that not only did he turn down a potential fight against Cung Le, who is now paired off against Rich Franklin at the same "Cruz vs. Faber 3" event later this year, but that Boetsch is "probably a harder fight" than the "Philippine Wrecking Machine."

Those comments after the jump.

"I have never really looked at Mark Munoz and thought he looked like a particularly dangerous opponent. His ground and pound looks good, his wrestling doesn’t look all that dangerous, his stand up is suspect and he’s got a weak chin. I think Tim Boetsch is probably a harder fight."

Despite falling to Chael Sonnen by razor-thin unanimous decision at UFC on Fox 2 earlier this year, Bisping has continued to cement himself as one of the division's toughest nuts to crack.

"The Count" is 4-1 over his last five contests, including consecutive technical knockout stoppages over Jorge Rivera at UFC 127 and Jason Miller at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale. The Brit, who's never been submitted, has only been stopped once in his career thanks to a well-placed "H-Bomb" way back at UFC 100.

Will Bisping be too hard for Boetsch to handle? And do you agree with his comments about Munoz?