Michael Bisping Explains Friendly Luke Rockhold Run-In
Michael Bisping shocked the MMA world earlier this month when several posts on social media appeared to show him having friendly exchanges with his long-time rival Luke Rockhold.
Bisping and Rockhold shared the Octagon on two occasions and built one of the most hostile rivalries in the sports history.
In November 2014, Rockhold was victorious in their first meeting.
The 36-year-old locked up a guillotine choke in round two to finish the fight.
Rockhold went on to claim UFC gold when he stopped Chris Weidman at UFC 194 in 2015.
An eagerly anticipated rematch was booked with Weidman, but he was forced out of the fight with injury.
In steps Bisping on two weeks’ notice to rematch Rockhold and get his long overdue shot at UFC gold.
‘The Count’ pulled off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history when he knocked out Rockhold in the first round at UFC 199 in June 2016.
Post-fight, the pair continued to bicker and have consistently taken shots at each other ever since.
In 2020, Rockhold linked up with Jason Parillo who was the man in Bisping’s corner when he won the title five years ago.
It seems like that was enough to bring an end to the long-running feud.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Bisping detailed his run-in with Rockhold.
“He’s training down there with (Jason) Parillo now at RVCA, so I still get in there now and again when I can get in, have a workout, and I was kind of half expecting him to be there one day,” Bisping said. “What am I gonna do? I’m gonna walk in and be a d*ck? No, it’s water under the bridge. We shared two fights. It’s weird, you have a, I wouldn’t say bond, but you definitely shared an unforgettable experience with that person.
“I always said if I was to meet Luke under a different guise or different circumstances, we’d probably get along because he’s friends with some of people that I have a lot of respect for like Daniel Cormier,” Bisping continued. “Cormier is a smart guy. He’s a good judge of character. If he likes Luke, I’m sure he can’t be that bad. So I walked in and I saw him. What are you gonna do? Are you gonna talk sh*t? I just laughed, so we shook just hands quickly, and I kidnapped his dog and put it on social media and that was that.”
Was you happy to see Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold squash their beef?
