"Eventually, 37 years old, I became the champion" - Michael Bisping gives his own example to claim Anthony Smith can still win the title
Michael Bisping offered some words of wisdom to Anthony Smith on the latest episode of his Believe You Me podcast.
Smith unfortunately suffered a broken ankle during his fight against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 277. Despite the setback, 'The Count' believes it is not too late for Smith to make another run at the UFC title.
Bisping recalled his own path to UFC gold, and spoke of the many trials and tribulations he had to endure. From losing multiple number one contender fights to eventually even losing an eye, no UFC champion has had a journey quite like Bisping.
The Brit never lost belief in himself, though, and at the ripe age of 37, he was able to win the UFC title. Having gone through that, Bisping sent some inspirational words the way of his frequent podcast co-host Smith.
"Maybe drink a few too many beers, feel sorry for yourself for a day or two. That is the natural course of events. But then, you get back up. You rise like the f*cking 'Lionheart' that you are, you know. 'Cause listen, I had many ups and downs throughout my career, lost an eye, lost multiple fights, number one contender fights. You claw your way back, and eventually, 37 years old, I became the champion. Anthony Smith has every possibility, every chance in the world of doing that."
Watch the video below:
Smith is only 34 years old and has accrued a vast amount of experience in his 53 professional fights. He is currently situated at No.5 in the light heavyweight rankings and is only a couple of wins away from being in the title picture once again.
Michael Bisping predicts fantasy Anderson Silva vs. GSP fight
Michael Bisping is one of only two people to have fought Anderson Silva and George St-Pierre. As such, he may be the most qualified person to give a breakdown on who would be victorious in a fight between the pair of GOAT contenders.
Bisping feels that the skillsets of each fighter would be a match for the other and that the edge would be found in the intagibles of the fight. The mental warfare employed by Silva is what Bisping thinks could give the edge to 'The Spider'.
"Anderson, he lulls his opponents into a false sense of security. The bowing, the generous things that he says about his opponents skills at press conferences, and even during the fight he often smiles."
Watch the video below:
Although Michael Bisping's experience against both men may help him adequately predict the outcome of the fight, it is a matchup that will be put alongside Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov in the 'What if?' section of MMA history.