UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping has said he would “snap” Conor McGregor's neck if he ever moved up to 185 pounds, while expressing his admiration for the Notorious.
The 37-year-old joked about a potential fight between the two during a recent interview with the SPORTbible (h/t Daily Star's Chisanga Malata), pointing to the vast difference in size between the two:
Listen, a long time ago I had a bird that annoyed me and the bird had to go. The bird’s neck was snapped. I would also snap Conor McGregor’s neck in a similar fashion.
Conor is about as high as this couch, and I’m a grand specimen – I’m 6’2 of prime British beef. Conor is Irish and about 4’2. It wouldn’t even be fair. I doubt you could even get it sanctioned.
But Conor for his weight-class is amazing, he is the best, I love him, but come on.
McGregor is the current UFC Featherweight champion and tried his hand at the higher weight classes earlier this year. He was supposed to fight lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 196, but when the champion pulled out, he eventually made his welterweight debut against Nate Diaz. He lost the fight via submission in the second round.
Despite the losses, McGregor has hinted at more fights outside of the featherweight division, and he even opened the door to the middleweight division, per Malata:
Who knows, I could be like a block at 170. As I keep growing and keep eating and keep training, my body could change as I get older.
I could become that solid block at 170. At that block of 170 I’d be happy to go to 185. It would be like going from 145 to 155. So, I have no problem doing that. I’d go up. No problem.
A fight between the two would be quite the stretch, to say the least. McGregor will likely return to the featherweight division after his rematch with Diaz at UFC 202 on August 20. Former featherweight champion Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar will meet for the interim belt at UFC 200 on July 9, and the winner will almost certainly be scheduled to fight McGregor next.
Bisping took the middleweight title from Luke Rockhold in a stunning upset at UFC 199, and while he's in line for a handful of big-money fights against major opponents, he's already 37 years old. There simply won't be time to wait for McGregor to move all the way up to 185 pounds.
A fight against MMA legend Georges St-Pierre seems more likely, and Bisping recently told Fox Sports Live's Jay And Dan he'd love to make it happen:
Per MMAFighting.com's Shaheen Al-Shatti, St-Pierre is also open to the bout:
A fight like that would be a goldmine for the UFC, as well as the biggest payday of Bisping's career. Per Fox Sports' Damon Martin, he's already admitted he probably only has “three or four” fight left before he calls it quits, so the time is now for him to cash in and chase the biggest fights he can find.
Along with St-Pierre, a rematch with Rockhold would be a possibility, as well as bouts with rival Dan Henderson, former champion Chris Weidman or Ronaldo Souza.
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