It's been a while since we've seen Michael Bisping. For many, the last memory is him spitting at a cornerman following his destruction of Jorge Rivera at UFC 127.
Bisping has returned to the UFC and was given a plum spot on Season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter." As taping for TUF 14 began last week in Las Vegas, Spike allowed media members to speak with Bisping (video-NSFW).
The Brit traveled a rocky road after UFC 127. Many around the sport wanted the Brit to suffer a steep penalty for his actions. When pressed about his critics, Bisping was predictably outspoken.
"Those guys need to get a [expletive] grip on themselves, I apologized to Jorge Rivera and his camp for spitting on the floor because that's not the way I should've been acting," Bisping said. "I'm yet to hear an apology from him for insinuating that my girlfriend has chlamydia and all the other [expletive] he talked about. I was man enough to do that, he wasn't. Next question!"
Bisping defended his actions towards Rivera cornerman Matt Phinney.
"It wasn't a spitting incident. I spat on the floor because the guy was talking about my family and if i talked [expletive] about your family, I'd expect you to spit on the floor and show contempt for me as well," Bisping said. "The guy's an absolute piece of [expletive]� and that's what I think and that's what I showed him."
Bisping is ready to move on against another antagonist in Jason Miller. Miller is a pretty accomplished middleweight and recently crossed over as a television star with his show "Bully Beatdown" on MTV. That said, a lot of MMA fans aren't familiar with Miller because he was fighting outside the UFC and that concerns Bisping.
"I can understand it, he got a bit of a crossover but I wasn't overly thrilled that he's going to be my next fight," Bisping, who was hoping for Chael Sonnen or another well known 185-pound contender in the UFC.
Bisping also knows Miller is a rough fight.
"I'm not underestimating him. I'm not saying he's a lesser fighter than me, but in term of world rankings and getting a title shot, I don't think he's going to progress me in my career," Bisping said. "He's a very tough fight and in some ways a bad matchup because I'm going to be expected to beat him. He's obviously looking to make a name on my back."
Miller and Bisping will meet on Spike at the TUF 14 Finale in December. Miller has won seven of his last 10 fights. The only blips on his resume are a disqualification against Ronaldo Souza and a decision losses to Souza and Jake Shields. That's two of the top submission artists in all of mixed martial arts.
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