Belfort vs. Bisping

This is the official discussion thread for Belfort vs. Bisping. Let's see what you've got.

@Ronwah - Bisping is only 2 years younger, and I'm not sure he's faster.  Belfort is the more explosive athlete. 

* Edited at 12.21.2012, 7:54 PM ET *

Not much beyond the first round @AnAlias. Vitor might only be 2 years older on paper, but he has a lot more fight miles on the clock.

Huge Vitor fan, and I don't hate Bisping. 

I don't have the usual vision of one fighter getting blasted in the 1st or of it going to the decision. The only thing that would surprise me is if Vitor got a 30-27 or if Bisping got a quick/devastating finish. Either way, for some reason I love seeing middle-aged (for MMA) guys go at it, having seen some fights where there's a unique mix of youthful aggression and simultaneous skill, very much looking forward to it. 

Vitor should win the standup; Bisping isn't bad, but Vitor should have the better speed/power combo. On the ground Bisping is a pretty good grappler and has very good TDD but Vitor is a threat anywhere and has the strength to match or outwrestle Bisping. Vitor's only glaring weakness is his cardio, but I don't see that as making him lose the fight; unless he comes out weird or unprepared, at the worst he should take the first two and lose the third.

That said, Vitor is the finisher here, and I see him having an advantage anywhere, so a KO is most likely.

Sadly, i think ****ping is gonna pick him apart until he gasses, and TKO him in the 3rd

Michael Bisping: “Vitor hits hard and knocks people out … I believe I’ve got more tools than Vitor. He’s got a great submission game, but I believe I can counter that, and I’m not afraid of that. It’s funny how black belts go to white belts when you start punching them and elbowing them in the face."

Vitor " back of the head" Belfort hopefully gets DQ this time around

Blackzilians just lost to two wrestlers this past weekend (Varner and Jury)

Bisping will do the same to Vitor.

Bisping isn't really a wrestler. His wrestling is not bad, but the Stann fight is really the first time we saw him actively look for takedowns.

As much as i hate ****ping, he makes a statement in this fight. Wears Vitor down, survives the 1st round blitz, and TKO's him in the 3rd.

i think unless Bisping goes back to fighting cans or washed up fighters he isn't knocking out anyone soon.

i only take belfort cause hes got 10 extra mins to knock out bisping if needed

Bisping and Belfort's striking are both excellent, so I don't see either making a huge mistake. Bisping learned from that Hendo fight. This goes the distance.

Initial thought on Bisping/Belfort...................thus far Bisping has been the faster fighter at both 205 and 185. That is what has won him his fights against Chris Leben, Brian Stann, and Jorge Rivera. Bisping also has a ton of cardio. The pace that he sets has worn out fighters such Sexyama, Dennis Kang, and Mayhem. Add in the fact that Bisping is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC MW division, and you have a very tough fight for any fighter at 185.

Now Bisping is facing Vitor Belfort. Belfort has quite possibly the fastest hands in MMA. His knockouts of Wanderlei Silva, Matt Lindland, Rich Franklin, and Sexyama are proof of that. Not only does Belfort have fast hands, they are dangerous and accurate as well. Just ask Marvin Eastman, Terry Martin, and Tank Abbott. Another thing that Belfort possesses is a highly underrated and very dangerous BJJ game. Jon Jones, Anthony Johnson, and Bobby Southworth are all witnesses to Belfort's great submission game.

What this fight brings to the table is two of the most talented and respected fighters in MMA. The big question is..................who will win, and by what? Will Bisping wear Belfort down, and take a late round TKO or decision, or will Belfort come out on fire with guns blazing early, and make Bisping another victim of his fast hands, or will one submit the other?

Tough fight to pick, but I know that I will be watching with great anticipation. I'm a big fan of both fighters, so it makes it that much tougher to pick. 

1. Mental Edge/Confidence/Gameplan - There is no doubt the confidence that Michael Bisping has coming into any fight. Many feel that he is sometimes overconfident and quite arrogant, but in his defense Bisping is ,IMO, one of the most well-rounded fighters at 185, so yeah, he may be a little arrogant, but he has reason to be. Belfort knows that he has some of the fastest, most dangerous, and accurate striking in the UFC MW division. Bisping has gone 4-1 in his last 5 fights, and many feel that his loss to Chael Sonnen shouldn't have been a loss, so I think it's safe to say that Bisping is also very strong mentally coming into this fight, and knows just what to say to often times get in his opponent's head. Belfort has gone 3-2 in his last 5 fights, and has pulled out of 4 fights due to injury since his return to the UFC in September of 2009. In fact, Belfort has only fought 5 times since September of 2009, while Bisping has fought 8 times. Activity might both play physically and mentally in Bisping's favor. When it comes to gameplan, Bisping has done very well over the course of his career. Knowing just what to do, how to move, and expose his opponent's weaknesses, while Belfort is often times one-dimensional in his approach to who he's facing. Bisping won his last fight against Brian Stann, while Belfort's last fight was a hard fought loss to current UFC LHW kingpin Jon Jones, but what's better to brag about? Winning a fight against a mid-top ten MW or almost submitting and going to the 4th round with one of the world's best p4p MMA fighters? With all this in mind, I give Bisping a very slight edge here. Bisping = 9/10, Belfort = 8/10

2. Experience/Level Of Opposition - Bisping has 27 fights on his resume over the course of an 8 year career, while Belfort has 31 fights over the course of a 16 year career. Very close by number, but Belfort has fought for a major MMA world title 4 times, and faced a future, former, or current champion on 12 occasions. Bisping has only faced a former future MMA Champion on 4 occasions, and Bisping has lost 3 of the 4. Bisping has never fought for a world title. I think it's safe to say that Belfort has the advantage in this area here. Bisping = 9/10, Belfort = 10/10

3. Heart/Determination To Win - The question is here, who can come from behind to win? Who really has the fighting spirit? Who can really overcome the odds, and stay in the fight the entire time? Both fighters have been hit and miss in this area. You saw Belfort's spirit break over the course of his losses to Jon Jones, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, and Anderson Silva, but against Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, Belfort was in the fight the entire time, and he never quit. The same can be said for Bisping. He showed a ton of heart against Wanderlei Silva, Dennis Kang, Chael Sonnen, Rashad Evans, Matt Hamill, and Brian Stann, but against Dan Henderson and Chris Leben, he fought and ran like he was scared the whole time. Chris Leben didn't catch him, but Hendo did. Now it's hard to show heart when you're KTFO'd so I can't pick on Bisping too much for his loss to Dan Henderson or Belfort's loss to Anderson Silva. This category can really go either way, but as I sit and really think about it, I've seen more heart from Bisping than I have from Belfort. Bisping = 8/10, Belfort = 7/10

4. Stamina/Cardio - This area is all Bisping here. Belfort has improved his cardio over the years, but Bisping has been a cardio machine since his stint on TUF 3. There is no doubt in my mind that the longer the fight goes on, the more the fight plays into Bisping's hands. Bisping = 10/10, Belfort = 8/10

5. Endurance/Toughness - This is another tough subject here. Belfort has been plagued by injury, and Bisping can be rocked, I think, easier than Belfort. So it's Bisping's questionable chin vs. Belfort's nagging injuries. It seems that injury didn't plague Belfort too bad in his fights against Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Anthony Johnson, Sexyama, or Rich Franklin, and Bisping's questionable chin wasn't so questionable against Brain Stann, Chael Sonnen, Jorge Rivera, or Dennis Kang. The question here is, who can take more damage in a fight? I think Belfort here, but it could either way. Bisping = 8/10, Belfort = 9/10

6. Overall Striking - Belfort has the fastest hands at 185 with deadly accuracy and great power in strikes, while Bisping is a more technical striker with very good speed, and decent power. Bisping is very good in this area, but the only person I can think of better in this area at MW than Belfort is Anderson Silva. Advantage Belfort. Bisping = 8/10, Belfort = 10/10

7.  Overall Wrestling/Grappling - Many would think that Bisping would have a clear advantage in this area here. Well, actually Belfort has a very underestimated double-leg and single-leg takedown, and some very good offensive wrestling, but Belfort's defensive grappling is not the best that there is in the game. Bisping doesn't always stop the takedowns, but he knows how to get right back to his feet. You factor in Bisping does have some good takedowns and offensive grappling of his own, and you have a formula for another category that is very tough to pick who is actually better. Personally if it came down to a straight wrestling match, I would have to give the advantage to Bisping. Bisping = 9/10, Belfort = 8/10

8, Overall Submissions/BJJ - Michael Bisping has a very underrated, and often times overlooked submission game, but he hasn't had a submission victory since 2005, and has never won by submission in the UFC. Belfort was one of the first of the true mixed martial artists. He was known for his boxing, but he also has a black belt in BJJ, and has utilized his submissions, and won by submissions many times in his MMA career. If someone were to ask me, "who do you think has the better chance of winning by submission" I would answer, "Vitor Belfort". I realize that Bisping has never lost by submission in his career, and Belfort was submitted in his last outing against Jon Jones, but hey, before Jim Miller fought Nate Diaz, he had never lost by submission. Bisping = 8/10, Belfort = 9/10

9. Size/Strength - Bisping is 6'2" with a 75.5" reach, and Belfort is 6'0" with a 74" reach. Not a huge size advantage for Bisping in height and reach, but sometimes all you need is an inch or two to get out of range from your opponent. Belfort, IMO, is the stronger of the two fighters, and it looks to me like he is actually the bigger in build. Neither fighter is really massive for a MW like Boestch, Weidman, or Anderson Silva, but they are very good sized for MWs. I think that this category is a slight advantage for Belfort. Bisping = 8/10, Belfort = 9/10

10. Speed/Athleticism - I honestly believe that Belfort is the poster child for speed at 185. Bisping is quick, but I think that this is the first time that Bisping will be facing someone as quick or faster than him. Except maybe for Rashad Evans. Athleticism is a very tough one to call here, but in that instance, I think that Bisping is the more athletic of the two fighters. With that in mind, I'm calling this one even, but it could be an advantage for Belfort because of the speed advantage. Bisping = 10/10, Belfort = 10/10

Overall Score = Michael "The Count" Bisping - 87/100, Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort - 88/100

^^ THIS!

Go Belfort!!

My mind says Bisping but my heart says Belfort.

My vote goes with Bisping but anything can happen, just look what happened between Perosh and Jimmo. There is always the chance someone gets lucky and their opponent zigs when they should have zagged :)