UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Bisping Recap & Results

One of the UFC’s most tenured fighters Michael Bisping has been competing at the highest level of the sport for the better part of a decade, yet he has never been able to secure a title shot, let alone register a signature victory over a top contender. Returning to fight in his home country for the first time in five years, could one of Britain’s greatest mixed martial artists finally shake his ‘nearly man’ image with a upset victory over the decorated and revered former champion Anderson Silva?

Thrilling, dramatic, emotional, controversial. This was everything we have come to expect from Michael Bisping and Anderson Silva, and more.

Respectful but resolute, Bisping refused to let Silva’s relentless clowning affect his performance as he stuck to the gameplan and pushed the legendary Brazilian towards the cage with measured punches and kicks. Renowned for his theatrics and feared for his ability to mask devastating offense behind them, Silva appeared ready to launch a counter offense at any moment, but Bisping remained focused as he continued to score with his strikes and superior control.

The bout was according to plan for Bisping, but a huge mistake deep into the third almost cost him the fight. Requesting a break to replace his mouthpiece with seconds remaining on the clock, Bisping dropped his defenses long enough for Silva to connect with a brutal flying knee that appeared to briefly render the Brit unconscious. Believing he’d won the fight, Silva celebrated only for official Herb Dean to inform him that the horn was simply to signify the end of the round. A lucky break for Bisping, who would have surely been finished had the sequence taken place ten seconds earlier.

Ramping up the intensity in the fourth Silva tried to put his dazed opponent away, but for some reason just couldn’t find the right combination to get the job done. Bloodied but far from defeated Bisping recovered in time for the final five minutes and managed to finish the fight in a similar manner to how he’d started. Surprisingly unanimous with their scores the judges scored the bout three rounds to two in the Brit’s favor. Against the odds Michael Bisping had just secured his greatest victory as a professional fighter, and in front of his home crowd the win couldn’t have been any sweeter.

As with most UFC bouts these days there are definitely arguments to be made to say that Anderson Silva should have won. He was far more dangerous going forward, landed the more significant strikes and just did far more damage, but Silva’s undoing here was his infuriatingly casual attitude. ‘The Spider’ has always been a theatrical fighter, but I wonder just how much more dominant he would have been if he’d focused more on actually winning fights rather than just trying to entertain.

Fast approaching 41 years of age and a shocking 1-3-1 in his last five fights since 2012, could this really the end of the road for the the legendary ‘Spider’?

UFC Fight Night 84 Main Card Results

Bantamweight
Brad Pickett def Francisco Rivera via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Welterweight
Tom Breese def Keita Nakamura via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Middleweight
Gegard Mousasi def Thales Leites via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Middleweight
Michael Bisping def Anderson Silva via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)

What did you think of the fight and this card in general? Let me know in the comments section below!