Bisping: Weidman needs to 'stop feeling sorry for himself'
Michael Bisping is still struggling to earn the respect that comes with being a champion.
"The Count" won the UFC middleweight title this past June with a stunning first-round knockout of Luke Rockhold at UFC 199. Rather than celebrate the veteran's 12-year journey to the top, Bisping's peers lined up to either challenge him, criticize him, or both.
Former titleholder Chris Weidman wondered if Bisping was even 'championship material' and hasn't backed off in subsequent interviews.
In a recent blog post written for champions.co, Bisping addressed Weidman's comments directly, with his usual grace and aplomb.
"I think Chris is really embarrassed that I knocked out the guy that dominated him and beat the living crap out of him (at UFC 194)," Bisping wrote. "He should be embarrassed that as a guy who calls himself a black belt in jiu-jitsu and some kind of crazy skilled wrestler, he was mounted by Rockhold, and had something like a hundred strikes landed on him. The referee should've called that fight after the third round.
"Where were his mount escapes? He should be embarrassed more for the fact that he got his ass absolutely kicked, but I went out there and knocked Luke out in the first round."
Bisping's first title defense is scheduled for Oct. 8 at UFC 204 in Manchester, England against Dan Henderson. That booking only drew more ire from the middleweight division, given that the 46-year-old Henderson's had limited success in recent years.
Meanwhile, Weidman is rumored to be facing fellow top-five contender Yoel Romero in November, and Bisping thinks "The All-American" should focus on that before looking in his direction.
"Why should he be embarrassed that I'm the champ? I mean, really, it's about time that Chris Weidman just shuts the f--- up," Bisping wrote. "He's acting like a little bitch, and we all know it. Everybody is sick of him and all that whining. He's always feeling sorry for himself and making excuses.
"Quit being a little bitch, Chris. Get back in the cage, win a fight and then maybe we can talk."
- With h/t to FOX Sports