by King Hazard
After nearly a decade long MMA career in the UFC, Michael Bisping is finally, I mean finally, getting a shot at the middleweight title in just a little over two weeks from today.
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman was initially scheduled to face Luke Rockhold for the belt at UFC 199, but a surgery on a herniated disc in his neck forced him to withdrawal from the fight this week. In fact, Weidman may be required to sideline for six-to-eight weeks.
In a post on Facebook Weidman stated,
I am being told I’m going to need surgery. Either they take the disc out or they fuse it and I have to meet with surgeons today to figure out what they will do. The good thing is it is c6-7 which is low in the neck, so I will have full range of motion either way and will be back better than ever. I’m told its six-to-eight week recovery for the disc coming out and twelve weeks for a fusion. Even though it’s very hard for me to see a bright side right now, the one silver lining I’m focused on is the timetable would allow me to fight on that NY card in November.
Despite Rockhold already beating Bisping in 2014 via a second-round submission at UFC Fight Night 55, the newly minted champion is still “excited” to face the British MMA pioneer, according to UFC President Dana White. Bisping recently defeated Anderson Silva by a very controversial unanimous decision win in February on Fight Pass.
UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping is back on for June 4 in Los Angeles, California.
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