Michael Bisping will not fight Yoel Romero or Luke Rockhold after news broke on Thursday of an injury to “The Count” which will require surgery.
Not many had Bisping to beat Luke Rockhold to take the UFC middleweight title last year. Even fewer would have predicted that the Brit would have managed to capture his first UFC title in such sensational circumstances. In a division that is not short on suitors for the belt, the general consensus appeared to be that Bisping would have his work cut out in order to keep the belt wrapped around his waist for long. Wrong again. Chances are that Bisping may even make it to a whole year as middleweight supremo (with only one defence against now retired Dan Henderson), after news broke of the Manchester native’s injury (a slightly torn meniscus).
Michael Bisping recently found out he will need knee surgery for slightly torn meniscus in next few weeks, hopes to fight around May
— John Pollock (@iamjohnpollock) January 19, 2017
The Englishman had talked about the possibility of fighting UFC legend George St-Pierre at UFC 206, but not long after this news of an “orbital injury” circulated. On Thursday, confirmation was all but made that yet another division’s champion (following on from Cormier and McGregor at light heavyweight and lightweight, respectively) will be out of action. Alarm bells are ringing, and they seem to indicate the emerging of another “interim title”. While not too completely jump the gun, a title eliminator between the top ranked middleweights in UFC (Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold) could be put into place without the need for another “secondary belt”.
Conjecture aside, the next few weeks will undoubtedly reveal all as Dana White and co will certainly look to patch up the middleweight division in Bisping’s absence. With a division as stacked and as dangerous as the one Bisping currently heads, anything can happen between now and May. Until then, it is a case of get well soon, Michael Bisping.
