Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping will be inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame this July during International Fight Week in Las Vegas, NV.
The announcement was made Saturday during the UFC’s ESPN+ show in London, England. Bisping is the first inductee in this year’s class and will be part of the ‘Modern’ wing.
The 40-year-old retired last May after concerns about his vision and an eye injury he suffered in his final fight, a KO loss to Kelvin Gastelum.
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Bisping splashed onto the UFC scene after winning the third season of The Ultimate Fighter. What followed was a 12-year run that saw him fall out of the category of best fighters to never compete for a UFC title with a short notice, first round KO win over then-champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 in June 2016.
Throughout his 29-fight UFC career, Bisping played up the role of heel and used his status as a villain to get into high-profile fights and opportunities. It wasn’t until the latter stages of his run that fans began to take him to as a babyface, especially after his title win. He defended the title just once, defeating Dan Henderson via decision before losing the title via submission to Georges St. Pierre in November 2017.
Among of some Bisping’s accomplishments:
His 16 wins as a UFC middleweight are the most in UFC history
His five hours, 15 minutes, and 15 seconds of in-cage time are the most in UFC middleweight history
His 20 career wins are tied for second in UFC history
His 29 UFC fights are tied for third in UFC history
He headlined UFC shows in seven different countries, a UFC record
Wrestling Observer subscribers can hear four different interviews with “The Count”:
Josh Nason’s Punch-Out prior to his grappling match with Chael Sonnen
A 2014 appearance on WON with Dave and Bryan
Another 2014 appearance on WON
A 2010 appearance on Tough Talk with Oliver Copp and Mike Sawyer