Jacare Souza Mocks Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping

UFC 199 spelled the end of Luke Rockhold’s short reign as middleweight champion. After many years toiling on the fringe of the division’s truly elite, British star Michael Bisping finally reaped what he’d sewn. Knocking out ‘Rocky’ in the first round of their April encounter, ‘The Count’ put an interesting twist on the division’s top end. Much like Chuck Liddell had ‘unfinished business’ on his mind when he first won the 205-pound belt, Bisping wants revenge on his most brutal career loss. We are talking, of course, about Dan Henderson.

The legendary former Pride FC two-weight champion ‘Hendo’ owns perhaps the most recognizable knockout in MMA history, and it came against Bisping at the historic UFC 100 in 2009. After clobbering the Brit with his touted right hand, Henderson put in a flying forearm smash to the already ground ‘Count.’ For obvious reasons Bisping wants the chance at redemption, but circumstances make this fight very unpopular with the rest of the division.

Who wouldn't want another crack after getting smacked like this? — Who wouldn’t want another crack after getting smacked like this?

Although in the fans eyes this is quite the enticing fight, as Henderson is looking at retirement afterwards, top contenders in the 185-pound category aren’t too amused. Currently ranked number 13 and having gone 2-2 since his middleweight return, there’s obvious cause for dismay among the rest of the division. Jacare Souza took to Facebook to voice his displeasure, taking a jab at Bisping with the following meme:

Are the UFC looking past the rankings a little too often at the moment? Quite possibly yes, but the fact remains that entertainment and marketability is a huge factor in booking these fights. Perhaps they see in the Dan Henderson fight one that’s more fan pleasing than any other options at present, it could also be influenced by Bisping’s insistence and the fact both men have such a storied history.