"We're all nervous, even Conor McGregor" - Michael Bisping says fighters who aren't nervous before a bout are either 'liars or stupid'
Michael Bisping is one of the most dynamic figures in the world of MMA. Having overcome adversity throughout his fighting career, the British star displayed innate charisma and remarkable toughness inside the cage.
With Bisping now retired as a fighter, he claims that even the toughest of MMA fighters deal with pre-bout anxiety, including UFC megastar Conor McGregor. During episode 361 of the Believe You Me podcast, Michael Bisping said:
"Yeah, the Brunson loss was really tough. It didn't go well, you know. He [Darren Till] got finished and he got beat. But that's the way it goes sometimes and certainly when you are coming off losses as well, right? You go in there with a heightened level of anxiety. We are all nervous as fighters; even Conor McGregor that pretends not to be. We are all nervous, otherwise you are a liar or stupid. Because this is the big field and a big game. You go in there with the best people in the world and anything can go wrong. And when you are going in there and let's say you've won your last five fights in a row, your confidence is sky high. But when you've gone in there and had some patch results recently, then that can affect your confidence."
Watch the full episode of the Believe You Me podcast below:
Michael Bisping lauds Darren Till's competitive spirit after recent loss
Michael Bisping was referring to the recent setback suffered by his countryman Darren Till in the middleweight's most recent UFC outing against Derek Brunson.
Despite the loss, 'The Count' applauded Till's competitive spirit, adding that he has the potential to become a champion one day. 'The Gorilla' was giving his first interview since his September loss when he appeared on Bisping's podcast.
Darren’s first interview since his last fight. Great stuff as usual. Please enjoy, retweet and share! Cheers twitter.com/bympod/status/…
Michael Bisping's remarks pointed out the harsh reality of the brutal sport. In MMA, the anxiety of combat remains ever-present and plays a big factor in the final outcome in fights, even for the most hardened of UFC fighters.
While Conor McGregor has never spoken about struggling with the issue, several seasoned fighters have openly admitted to dealing with intense pre-fight nerves in the past. They include Georges St-Pierre, Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone, Stephen Thompson and many others.