There are two strikes that should’ve knocked Michael Bisping clean out in this fight. One, a flying knee to the nose, comes at the end of the third round when Silva takes advantage of Bisping foolishly distracting himself over a missing mouthguard. The second comes in the fifth when Silva, backed against the fence, lands the same front kick to the face he knocked Vitor Belfort out with. The fact that Bisping regains composure and continues to pressure his opponent after taking such damage, albeit looking a bloody mess, is a testament to his toughness.

That resilience is ultimately what wins him the bout. That and Silva’s frustrating fighting style, which has him playing “fun games” or standing idle when he should be in attack mode. The former champion seems to overwhelm Bisping whenever he pushes forward, but he doesn’t do so often enough. The beginning of Round 4 is particularly confusing as that’s probably the best chance he has to finish Bisping, still hurt from the jumping knee. Perhaps Silva was fatigued from celebrating his false victory. Whatever the case, I agree with the judges decision.

my rating : 4 of 5

2016