Luke Rockhold On Michael Bisping: I Don’t Think He Really Enjoys Fighting
UFC Fight Night Sydney is set to go down Saturday November 8, 2014 from Sydney, Australia presented live on UFC Fight Pass. The main event will feature No. 5-ranked middleweight Luke Rockhold up against No. 9-ranked middleweight Michael “The Count” Bisping. Up until now, there has been a heated war of words going on between the two and it looks like that won’t let up until the two men step inside of the octagon and the cage door shuts.
Bisping is known for his notorious trash talking and his fights are almost always hyped up and very anticipated. However, Rockhold believes the Brits tactics are all just a front and a show. The AKA product appeared on Tuesday’s edition of the MMA Hour to give his thoughts on Bisping:
“I believe he hypes himself up. I don’t think he really enjoys fighting. You see him, he hypes himself up, trying to create all the controversy before the fight.”
The former Strikeforce champion even went as far to say that he believes Bisping’s demeanor shows that the Brit does not enjoy competing:
“Even when he’s walking to the cage – I study my opponents a lot and see how they carry themselves – you see him, he’s psyching himself up just to get in cage, slapping himself, yelling and screaming and getting into the cage and stomping around. I’m truly into fighting … he seems like he’s kind of tense and all stressed out.”
This is a bold statement coming from Rockhold. Bisping is a fighter known for his toughness and his never give up attitude. Rockhold continued adding that he is not taking anything away from his opponent:
“He’ll fight to the bitter and end take punches and do everything and do everything to win. I admire that and I respect all that, but, I don’t think he really enjoys fighting like I do, that’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to go in there and enjoy myself and get the win.”
Rockhold also acknowledged that Bisping’s antics don’t always end when the final bell rings and warned the Brit to not try anything when its all said and done:
“His true colors show after the fight, and we see how he carries himself after the fight, spitting on people’s corners. If he did that to one of my corners, we have two of my guys would go in there and beat his ass, too.”
You have to give Bisping credit for what he is doing. He may get out of hands at time but getting into opponents heads is something he does very well and Rockhold is known for letting his opponents get the best of him mentally.
The former Strikeforce champ showed this in the buildup to his knockout loss against Vitor Belfort, but now claims he is a changed man:
“Everyone thinks he’s getting me, I’m emotional, this and that. Look at me now, and look at me vs. Belfort. I’m a completely different person. I was actually very heated up in the Belfort exchanges, I was emotionally invested, you could see it in my eyes in my demeanor. In this fight, I’m more relaxed, I know nothing’s getting to me, in the big picture, I know I’m going to go in there and fight my fight.”
There is no question that this is a huge bout for each man. A win for either combatant could mean a title shot in the near future, but only one man can prevail. Who will it be?
