Michael Bisping: I want to fight Rockhold, Weidman and Jacare next

After alternating wins and losses since early 2012, Michael Bisping reinserted himself into the crowded upper ranks of the UFC's middleweight division with a dominant victory over C.B. Dollaway at UFC 186.

A win against Thales Leites at the promotion's first foray into Scotland in July would likely put the brash Englishman into a title eliminator against another top name at 185 pounds. That's right, Bisping, despite struggling to piece together a winning streak in the last half decade, could be two victories away from a shot at UFC gold.

"Obviously my last fight defined my position amongst the elite in the UFC," Bisping told reporters Wednesday, according to MMAFighting.com's Luke Thomas. "If I get the job done against Thales, which, of course, I plan on doing that, with the greatest of respect, I think it certainly puts me in the discussion. Obviously Vitor (Belfort) is out of the window now."

The top three fighters in the division are champion Chris Weidman, Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. Bisping is very aware he'll likely have to knock off one or more of those men if he hopes to strap the title around his waist. The 36-year-old has already tangled with Rockhold, losing via submission at a Fight Night event in November. According to Bisping, an inadvertent headbutt led to his demise against Rockhold.

"People I want to fight next are Luke Rockhold, Chris Weidman and Jacare Souza," Bisping said. "They will be the top three names in the division and certainly, a win over Rockhold or Jacare would get you a title shot. Weidman is the champion. I believe one of those guys is going to fight for the title next, anyway. Either one of those guys would be a dream opponent after Thales Leites, but I would be a fool to look past Thales. That's lesson no. 1: Never underestimate your opponent, never look past an opponent. I'm not doing that."