"People are intrigued by this guy" - Michael Bisping names the "biggest bad guy" in the UFC right now after Conor McGregor
The UFC is never short when it comes to having villains on the roster. Michael Bisping believes that, following Conor McGregor's reign, there is a new "bad guy" in the company.
Fights featuring a controversial athlete always tend to do better than when you have two respectful competitors. Alongside 'The Notorious', the UFC has had Colby Covington stand out above the rest and spark issues within the MMA community, which in turn makes fans pay attention.
Michael Bisping named himself and Conor McGregor as two of the sport's biggest bad guys but believes that the mantle has now been taken by Khamzat Chimaev following the controversy at UFC 279 earlier this month. 'The Count' stated in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel:
"If Khamzat beats Paulo Costa, it has to be Khamzat Chimaev, because number one, everyone's gonna want to see that [Chimaev fight for the middleweight title]. The bad guy. He's the biggest bad guy in the whole of the UFC right now. There's been a lot of bad guys along the way... Conor McGregor certainly fits that bill. I was a bit of a bad guy for a while, but right now Khamzat Chimaev, the way he flipped everyone off, the boos that he got, but the numbers that he pulls, people are intrigued by this guy."
'Borz' was the center of attention when he showed the MMA world that missing weight and losing the chance to fight Nate Diaz in the UFC 279 main event seemingly didn't faze him.
Check out what Michael Bisping had to say about the undefeated prospect in the video below:
Is Conor McGregor no longer the bad guy of the UFC?
With his antics outside the cage, it is clear that Conor McGregor is one of the most controversial and intriguing competitors on the UFC roster. That said, has he fallen down the pecking order?
The Irishman's inactivity in recent years has given other fighters a chance to steal the spotlight. Although McGregor hasn't completely disappeared from the limelight, multiple martial artists have benefitted from his hiatus.
As mentioned previously, Colby Covington and the recently turned 'bad guy' Khamzat Chimaev are two who have caught the eye of the fans.
While being the bad guy may get fighters on the wrong side of the MMA community, it will likely make them a much bigger name in the sport and supporters will be more enticed to tune in to watch their fights.