UFC on FX 7: Michael Bisping “Destined to be World Champion”

Michael "The Count" Bisping

Bisping: "I've got all the ingredients"

Michael Bisping has undoubtedly evolved into an incredible athlete who now sits atop of his division, only one win away from a long-awaited shot at middleweight gold. For the first time in his lengthy and tumultuous career, Bisping has finally acquired the necessary skills and physical capacity to truly be called one of the best fighters in the world at 185 lbs.

This is why it's no surprise that Bisping is under the impression that 2013 will be his year to shine, the culmination of all the hard work he put in to  become worthy of elite status in such a stacked division. The man believes that he has reached his prime, that he now has what it takes to take on even the greatest fighter in the history of the sport, "The Spider," Anderson Silva.

In a recent interview with The MMA Hour, Bisping discussed how his persistence through such a bumpy road has forced his natural talent and determination to emerge for the world to see, earning him the success he always felt he deserved in the UFC.

"No, absolutely not. Listen, I haven't fought for the title yet and I think I'm destined to be world champion one day. No one works as hard as me. I've got the skill set, I've got the tools, and I've got the mental capacity to achieve that. You know, the mental toughness that's required. I got all the ingredients. Maybe in the past I wasn't ready. Now I feel ready. The fact that I've built myself back up, I got myself in the position again, I think it's a testament to my mental toughness and my desire to win and continue. I've been in the UFC for seven years and God forbid this doesn't go my way Saturday night, I'm not going away. I'm not going away that easily. I'll go away, I'll build myself back up and I'll be back in this division again and I will win. But right now, I'm not even thinking about that. I'm very confident. If Vitor beats me Saturday night you will hear no excuses from me. He will beat the best version of me right now and he's one hell of a fighter. But, I truly believe I'm going to do it. It's going to be tough."

Now we know we're dealing with Bisping 2.0 because this version actually speaks the truth. It's hard to deny that Bisping has changed dramatically both in character and fighting ability, and only the most unbreakable mental toughness could have led to his two revolutionary performances against Chael Sonnen and Brian Stann.

Michael will face Vitor Belfort this Saturday at UFC on FX 7, and a victory will grant him the title shot he has been fighting for since he entered the division in 2008. Whether he wins or loses to Belfort,  it sounds like it is a certainty that nothing can stop the surging Bisping from believing that the fighter he has become is indeed the rightful owner of the coveted middleweight throne.

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