Michael Bisping: Fight against Brian Stann at UFC 152 is not 'England vs America'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight contender Michael Bisping says that his upcoming fight against Brian Stann, which is set for UFC 152 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sept 22, 2012, should not be portrayed as a country vs. country affair.

"The Count," who hails from Manchester, England, will look to get closer to his long desired title fight against the promotion's 185-pound champion, Anderson Silva, if he gets past the former Marine Corps Captain, Brian Stann.

After his requests for a title shot fell on deaf ears, Bisping will have one more chance to prove he is deserving of the opportunity to finally vie for UFC gold after six years with the promotion. It won't be an easy task, however, as Stann has proven to have knockout power and offers high-paced action each and every time he steps foot inside the Octagon.

Speaking at this week's UFC 152 press conference, Bisping gave his thoughts on the looming showdown against Stann and says while they are fan favorites in their respective countries, it won't be "England vs. America" when the two square off in Canada.

Check it out, after the jump:

"Listen, I want to fight for the title and I want to fight Anderson Silva, but, you can't look past Brian Stann. He is an incredible fighter. So for me, right now, I'm not even thinking about the title. I am fighting Brian Stann, I have my hands full with that. Regarding the fight, this is me vs. Brian Stann, this isn't England vs. America. This is an individual sport. There are no tanks, missiles or guns involved in this. This is mano-a-mano, individual versus individual and September 22, I am individually going to beat the crap out of him."

Alessio Sakara chose to promote his previous bout with the "All-American" by playing off their geographic backgrounds when the two tangled in Sweden. In the end, the American hero proved to be stronger than the Roman soldier as Stann thrashed "Legionarius" with brutal power in the very first round.

Bisping, on the other hand, chooses to play the individual route and refuses to get caught up in an America vs. England feud.

One thing is certain, the cloudy middleweight division will be much clearer after the two settle their differences inside the Octagon come Sept. 22. Hector Lombard blew his chance at challenging "The Spider" and Stann and Bisping both hope to avoid the same thing.

How about it Maniacs. Who will prevail, the British banger or the American war hero?

See what I did there? Sorry Mike.