Why Bisping must fight 'Jacare' at UFC 206

A golden opportunity has opened itself up for UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, whether he realizes it or not.

The 185-pound division was expected to sort itself out organically over the next few months with either the winner of Chris Weidman versus Yoel Romero or a rematch between Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza determining who Bisping will defend his title against next.

In the meantime, Bisping has stayed busy on social media, calling out welterweight stars Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz for a marquee match at UFC 206 in Toronto on Dec. 10. Unfortunately for Bisping, GSP decided to opt for free agency instead of coming out of retirement to compete in the Octagon and Diaz is currently in limbo.

On Tuesday, it was reported that a knee injury will force Rockhold to withdraw from his scheduled meeting with Jacare at UFC Fight Night 101 on Nov. 26. Souza is in prime shape and when his manager called for Bisping to fight his client, it didn't take long for members of the media to connect the dots:

As absurd as it sounds to question the credentials of the UFC's career leader in wins, Bisping must put his money where his mouth is and sign on to fight Jacare at UFC 206.

"The Count" took heavy criticism when he accepted a bout with the 46-year-old Dan Henderson for his first title defense this past October. The No. 13-ranked Henderson bruised up Bisping's face in a fight that the champ edged out on the scorecards, which did little to silence his detractors.

If Bisping is able to take out a top-5 middleweight contender, it will go a long way towards validating his reign. Right now, Souza is the only opponent that is ready and able to meet Bisping at UFC 206.

A meeting between the two would also help to boost the Toronto card, which lacks star power despite the inclusion of several strong Canadian fighters. In the main event, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier defends his title in a rematch against Anthony "Rumble" Johnson. Cormier submitted Johnson in their first meeting at 187, an event that drew a modest 375,000 PPV buys which was assisted by a Weidman-Vitor Belfort title fight.

Bisping told St-Pierre to sign on for a fan-friendly fight, and while Souza has nowhere near the name recognition of GSP, it would behoove the champ to fight him if only to preserve his reputation as a warrior who will fight anyone.

There is great risk in a matchup with Souza, a Brazilian beast who has made short work of some of the middleweight division's best fighters. And yet there is even greater risk that Bisping's legacy will be tainted by his targeting money fights as opposed to facing rightful contenders.

Stepping into the Octagon with Jacare might not be the smart thing to do, but in this case it is absolutely the right thing to do.