Search icon

Sport

16th Aug 2017

UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping agrees to fight with Tony Bellew

Another crossover in the offing?

Darragh Murphy

Imagine Michael Bisping vs. Tony Bellew on the same card as Jimi Manuwa vs. David Haye.

We’d watch!

Manuwa has insisted that talks have already taken place for a professional boxing debut opposite ‘The Hayemaker’ and with boxer vs. MMA fighter contests proving all the rage this year amid the hype of Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather, another such bout is being discussed.

On Tuesday, Tony Bellew claimed that he would not shy away from a clash with UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and went so far as to suggest that he’d be open to a pair of fights – one in the ring and once in the Octagon.

“I think I could get down to 185lbs,” Bellew told Sky Sports. “If the money is right, then Tony Bellew would happily enter a cage or a ring. Maybe let’s do one of them each.

“I’m a Michael Bisping fan, but if the money was right then the fan stuff goes out the window.”

‘The Bomber’ then took to Twitter to clarify that he wasn’t calling out the Manchester mixed martial artist but simply responding to a question in an interview.

Bisping is scheduled to defend his UFC middleweight title against 170lbs great Georges St-Pierre in the main event of UFC 217 this November and, if he wins, he will be obliged to fight the interim 185lbs champion, Robert Whittaker.

But following those fights, ‘The Count’ is eager to get into the ring with Liverpool’s Bellew.