Bisping: I haven't been offered 3rd Rockhold fight for UFC 226
Any word of a rubber match between Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold is news to the former.
Not 24 hours after Rockhold claimed the UFC has been "pursuing" a light heavyweight trilogy bout between himself and his longtime rival - potentially for UFC 226 on July 7 in Las Vegas - Bisping told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani in the most Bisping-esque fashion that it was far from the case.
"I can categorically on the record state that I have not been offered a fight with (Rockhold) on July 7," Bisping said Tuesday. "He shouldn’t be so keen to get knocked out again anyway. Stick to modeling. Judging by his last three fights, MMA certainly doesn’t appear his thing anymore."
The brash Brit also dished on the would-be matchup during the latest episode of his "Believe You Me" podcast, stating he'd happily share the Octagon with Rockhold again if the brass made it worth his while.
"I respect everybody, but he sounds mentally challenged while talking," Bisping said, per MMAjunkie's Mike Bohn. "He doesn’t scare me one little bit. He never has. He didn’t the first time, he didn’t the second time, and he absolutely wouldn’t a third time. So I’m definitely willing to take a fight with Luke Rockhold if the UFC gives me the right deal."
Rockhold drew first blood in the rivalry with a submission victory in November 2014, but Bisping evened the score amid much higher stakes at UFC 199 in June 2016, knocking out Rockhold in the first round to claim the middleweight crown he later lost to a returning Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217.
Bisping got back in the saddle on an alarming three-week turnaround - suffering a first-round KO at Kelvin Gastelum's hands at UFC Fight Night 122 - and has repeatedly voiced his desire to take the Octagon one more time before calling it a career. The brash Brit hasn't put a target on his swan song, with March dates opposite Vitor Belfort and Rashad Evans in London failing to come to fruition. He's also fielded call-outs from Derek Brunson and Lyoto Machida.
Rockhold most recently fought last month at UFC 221, where Yoel Romero treated him to a third-round knockout. He expects his next fight to be contested at 205 pounds.