Some of the most memorable nights of UFC legend Michael Bisping’s career took place in Manchester.
‘The Count’ first rose to fame as winner of reality series The Ultimate Fighter, back in 2006. At the time, Bisping, 44, was unaware that the show would be the start of him building a loyal fanbase, who would stick by the Clitheroe fighter through plenty of ups and downs on his journey to eventually become the first British champion in UFC history.
The dedication of British MMA fans was best-demonstrated in 2016. when Bisping defended his middleweight title for the first time against Dan Henderson at UFC 204. Taking place at the Manchester Arena, the event was scheduled to fit in with USA time zones. Those in attendance were forced to wait until around 6am to cheer Bisping on as he avenged his previous loss to Henderson, yet the event still sold-out in six minutes.
It was a fitting moment for Bisping, given that one of his earliest UFC wins had come in the same arena, nine years earlier.
READ MORE: Tyson Fury threatens to sue Oleksandr Usyk and responds to Anthony Joshua hint
READ MORE: Eddie Hearn's opinion on Francis Ngannou changes in four months ahead of Tyson Fury fight
“When I fought at UFC 70, which was the first event in Manchester, I had no idea that the crowd was going to be like that,” Bisping told Manchester Evening News. “Because I was on The Ultimate Fighter, I didn’t know if people were watching it and this was pre-social media. I walked out, the noise from the crowd was unreal and I was very lucky because I had that all the way through.”
Looking back on the early days of MMA in England, Bisping described it as being like the ‘Wild West’ as he struggled for training partners while fielding bizarre questions, such as whether fighters were allowed to bring weapons into the octagon. His storied career and road to the UFC title did a lot to grow MMA in the country, but Bisping insists he was not alone.
“In my role, maybe I did inspire some fighters, but there were people before me, like Ian Freeman, and there’ll be people after me,” Bisping explained. “I played my part and I’m proud of that but can’t take all the credit, far from it.
He added: “I couldn’t have done it without the support of the UK, they were with me through the ups and the downs. It was always great having them with me.”
Since hanging up his gloves, Bisping has become one of UFC’s star analysts, commentating on fight cards that are broadcast worldwide. Combined with facing the likes of Anderson Silva, Rashad Evans and Luke Rockhold in the octagon, it is hard to imagine ‘The Count’ being intimidated by anything.
However, that was not the case when Bisping took to the road for his first Tales from the Octagon speaking tour in 2021, reliving stories from his career in front of a sold-out Manchester Apollo. A new version of the show, including a Q&A and meet and greet, will be heading to Manchester in December, with Bisping sitting alongside current UFC stars Tom Aspinall and Paul Craig.
“I was nervous as hell because I was definitely out of my comfort zone,” Bisping admitted, discussing his first tour, “but a lot of people were saying I should do another one. I’ve spoken about myself at length, so now it’ll be other people’s tales. I’ll be taking the p*** out of other people.
“I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d be doing something like this. I’m really excited. It does bring some nerves as well, but after doing it before and having Tom and Paul to lean on, I’m looking forward to it.”
Signing off in classic Bisping style, he said: “I’ve lived a colourful life so there’s a lot of stories I can talk about and there’s always plenty of people to take the p*** out of!”
Michael Bisping will be performing his Tales from the Octagon 2 show at the Manchester Apollo (16th Dec), alongside UFC fighters Tom Aspinall and Paul Craig. Tickets available here.
