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[Diegonightmare]

Originally Posted by spinach

I think the UFC really wants one of the TUF winners to finally rise to the top.

Well, isn't the way to do that to fight top fighters?

As said, Diego got Nick Diaz, Karo freakin' Parisyan, and Joe Riggs put in front of him a short time after leaving the show. He hasn't been babied, that is serious competition.

However, I do think the UFC intentionally handles Bisping differently. Diego doesn't need to be "the face of MMA" for an entire country. Bisping does, for the UFC's strategy. They are trying to grow in the UK, and Bisping is their weapon of choice.

This explains both why they are having him fight weaker competition, as well as how infrequently they are having him fight. Every time they have a fight abroad, especially in the UK, they want Bisping there, and they want him winning.

I agree that from a "purist fan" perspective that's frustrating. But it's business and as a business person myself I have respect for how Dana and the Fertittas have orchestrated the "meteoric rise" (sorry, couldn't resist :grinsmile26: ) of the UFC and MMA.

Soon enough Bisping will start to fight the Rashads, the Titos, the Chucks, the others. We'll learn what he's made of sooner or later. But only after he's served the UFC well in their plans for him.

[poike]

Antually, if there's anyone to bash about Bisping getting the easier competition, I might think it's the matchmakers and not Bisping himself. I'm pretty sure he would fight anyone they'd put in front of him. Not saying that he's ready for it, I can't see him beating the true top competition yet, but he's definitely a force to be reckoned with sooner or later (most likely later).

With this said I also don't think people are really bashing him as a fighter, I think most people just thinks he should fight better competition.

[NixHex]

Originally Posted by Diegonightmare

However, I do think the UFC intentionally handles Bisping differently. Diego doesn't need to be "the face of MMA" for an entire country. Bisping does, for the UFC's strategy. They are trying to grow in the UK, and Bisping is their weapon of choice.

Are you saying Diego isn't Hispanic enough? lol

[Diegonightmare]

Originally Posted by g'nightXX

Are you saying Diego isn't Hispanic enough? lol

He's from the United States Bisping is from, and still lives in, a country they want to grow aggressively into.

Don't worry, Diego will headline when UFC finally does go to Albuquerque

[spinach]

Originally Posted by g'nightXX

Diego pulled off a couple big wins over Diaz, Karo, & Riggs... or do you mean THE BIG WIN of getting to the title shot?

Yeah .... the BIG WIN ... the one that put him at #1 or the fight to be #1. I agree that he had some really big wins before and I kept asking why it was taking them so long to put him in a fight with either Penn, GSP, or Hughes.

Originally Posted by Ramma

As much as I hate to say it, Matt Serra already rose to the top. Or were you not counting TUF 4 because they were mostly pretty established like Matt Serra

TUF 4 was a weird season because of the established fighters. There were a lot of names that real MMA fans knew of (not newbie UFC fans) and that the winner automatically got a title fight. It didn't compare to any other TUF season where those guys are still pretty raw in a lot of aspects and need build-up fights.

Since a TUF guy gets a 6 fight deal I don't expect the UFC to give him big challenges for his first 3 fights. But by the 6th fight, if he really is on the right path, I at least expect him to be in fight that would put him in a #1 contender fight.

But this should be Bisping's 4th fight if it wasn't for the Visa problems. And I think Matt is going to pose a real threat to him if he can get though his striking. To me this is a real test.

[TravelinMonty]

Everything about the UFC fight frequency and matchups is frustrating...

Where's Anderson Silva been? They spread everyone's fight contract out so that the avergae champ fight only 2 or 3 times a year. It's really annoying. It seems like we should see more action since the PPV are more often. etc.

[Trustym2]

Originally Posted by Diegonightmare

Well, isn't the way to do that to fight top fighters?

As said, Diego got Nick Diaz, Karo freakin' Parisyan, and Joe Riggs put in front of him a short time after leaving the show. He hasn't been babied, that is serious competition.

However, I do think the UFC intentionally handles Bisping differently. Diego doesn't need to be "the face of MMA" for an entire country. Bisping does, for the UFC's strategy. They are trying to grow in the UK, and Bisping is their weapon of choice.

This explains both why they are having him fight weaker competition, as well as how infrequently they are having him fight. Every time they have a fight abroad, especially in the UK, they want Bisping there, and they want him winning.

I agree that from a "purist fan" perspective that's frustrating. But it's business and as a business person myself I have respect for how Dana and the Fertittas have orchestrated the "meteoric rise" (sorry, couldn't resist :grinsmile26: ) of the UFC and MMA.

Soon enough Bisping will start to fight the Rashads, the Titos, the Chucks, the others. We'll learn what he's made of sooner or later. But only after he's served the UFC well in their plans for him.

Umm, he's just getting started, so the competition will build up. Second, everytime they fight abroad? The whole one time that he fought abroad so far? That's only 1/3 of this fights in UFC so far...

He'll get there, he's good enough, but why put him up against someone to get beat right away? Let him build up. They let Forrest build up a couple fights before competition came along.

[Diegonightmare]

Originally Posted by Trustym2

Second, everytime they fight abroad? The whole one time that he fought abroad so far? That's only 1/3 of this fights in UFC so far...

They've had more international events in the last 2 months than in the last 6.5 years and are actively planning to go into Canada, Mexico, back into Japan, more in the UK, etc, all within the next year, so....yeah, everytime they fight abroad.

But particularly in the UK, as I said. Bisping headlining a Canada show or a Mexico show doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

But Dana's said more than once that there'll be a few UK events per year. I'd anticipate Bisping will be at every one of those. You disagree?

Originally Posted by Trustym2

He'll get there, he's good enough, but why put him up against someone to get beat right away? Let him build up. They let Forrest build up a couple fights before competition came along.

You and I don't disagree here. He should build up. The thread starter is the one who was frustrated with it; I'm saying it's within reason and especially given the role Bisping plays in their business plans.

He'll fight the Evans, Titos, Chucks and others eventually, there can be no question.

[neonatural45]

The reason alot of people hate on Bisping is becuase any other top 20 LHW would be as much of a poster boy as he is if they were from England. If the UFC wernet so fixed on him being their key to become famous in the U.K. then he would have fought some good fighters by now.

[Dork8503]

for a second i thought Forrest was babied but he fought Manhood Elvis then Tito, so he wasnt babied for long.

Bisping needs to fight someone like Babalu or Lambert or someone like that