"It's champion vs. champion. It will bring more attention" - Michael Bisping explains why the interim title fight at UFC 265 benefits everyone involved

Francis Ngannou (left), The official UFC poster for Gane vs. Lewis (right) [Right Image Courtesy: @ufc on Twitter]

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping previewed UFC 265 and shared his thoughts on why the interim heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis is good for Francis Ngannou. The UFC had to organize an interim title fight when the heavyweight champion, Ngannou, revealed that he couldn't fight as early as UFC 265.

Michael Bisping spoke on the topic with Adam Catterall and Nick Peet during BT Sport's UFC 265 Preview Show. He shared an anecdote of when he was the middleweight champion and said:

"When I was the champ, I remember Dana was trying to book me on a fight, and I was in Thailand, shooting a movie, and he calls me up and says 'Mike, got you a fight.' I said, 'Dana I can't' and I sent him a screenshot of my leg and it was about two and a half times the size of my other leg."

Bisping added that Dana White understood his situation and decided to make an interim title fight for the middleweight championship.

"He said, 'We're gonna have to do an interim title,' do you know what I said? 'Good, fine, fantastic.' Why is that? Because you're just solidifying a number one contender. That's all it is and then when you do fight the interim champion, it's a bigger fight. It's champion vs. champion. Both guys are getting pay-per-view points and it will bring more attention to that main event,' Michael Bisping revealed.

'The Count' stressed how an interim title fight at UFC 265 would only lead to more hype for the unification bout. Additionally, the winner of the UFC 265 fight will earn PPV points along with Francis Ngannou whenever they do meet inside the octagon.

First British UFC champion
First British fighter to headline a UFC event
Won the title on 17 days notice
9-0 fighting in the UK in UFC
TUF Season 3 winner
20 UFC wins

Happy Birthday to the Count, the Fighting Pride of Clitheroe, Left hook Larry, DJ Mikey B, Michael @Bisping! pic.twitter.com/1eHRGihbwT
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) February 28, 2021

Michael Bisping would love to see Derrick Lewis win at UFC 265

Michael Bisping also talked about the opportunity that Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane are getting at UFC 265. While Lewis is already the number one contender, Gane will get his chance to prove that he is one of the best heavyweights in the world.

"This is a big opportunity for Derrick Lewis. I would love to see Derrick Lewis go out and win this fight, just because of the storyline and the amount of good work he has put in with the UFC. For Ciryl Gane as well, what an incredible rise," Bisping concluded.

We've got an interim heavyweight title on the line this Sunday!@TheBeast_UFC and @Ciryl_Gane collide at #UFC265 🏆 pic.twitter.com/FkMU5exGnW
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) August 2, 2021

Watch BT Sport's UFC 265 preview here: