Sherdog’s Top 10: European Mixed Martial Artists

3. Michael Bisping

Long considered the bridesmaid but never the bride, Bisping finally shed that label in 2016 and fulfilled his dream of becoming a UFC champion. “The Count” had fallen short in a number of high-stakes bouts, and it seemed as though he would never reach the mountaintop. However, when he fought the heavily favored Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, everything changed.

Filling in for the injured Chris Weidman, Bisping caught Rockhold with a perfect flurry of punches, knocked him senseless and snatched the middleweight crown in the process. It was one of the more shocking knockouts in UFC history and padded the Brit’s legacy, as he had already won titles in the Cage Rage and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship organizations.

Bisping’s 19 victories inside the Octagon tie him with Georges St. Pierre for most in UFC history. Not bad for a guy who vaulted into the promotion by winning Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

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