UFC's Michael Bisping appeared on Tuesday's edition of "The MMA Hour" to discuss being challenged by Luke Rockhold last week and the confrontation they had in Macau, China, last month.
The middleweight said Rockhold approached him at a Macau hotel after his victory over Cung Le and told him to "put his money where his mouth is," according to MMA Fighting. Bisping said on Tuesday's show that the former Strikeforce champion's attempts at goading him into a fight were "pathetic."
"[My dad and I] were both nursing a bit of a hangover because we had a couple of drinks the night before, and we're just having a coffee and catching up," Bisping said. "Obviously I live in America and he lives in England, so now that all the excitement of the fight and all that stuff was over, we're just having a conversation catching up on old times. And, lo and behold, there [Rockhold] comes walking over, looking a little bleary-eyed himself. He was probably still feeling the effects for sure, because I'm sure in the cold light of day he wouldn't come up and start challenging somebody to a fight outside of the Octagon whilst out with family members. I certainly wouldn't do that, and I'd like to think he wouldn't.
"So he comes over: 'Hey Bisping, one round. Come on, I'll finish you in one round and I want your purse.' He started going on about that stupid bet that he does, and I just said, 'Look at the state of ya. Go home, sober up, and stop making a fool of yourself.'"
The encounter took place the morning after UFC Fight Night 48, the event at which Bisping earned his victory over Le, Fighters Only reported. While Bisping and RockHold didn't get in a physical confrontation at the hotel, the Englishman said he is willing to take on the American in an official fight.
"Maybe if I was younger, there might have been a situation when we were having the coffee," Bisping said. "But in this occasion, I'd done all my fighting the night before, and I'm a professional so I just ignored him. I laughed at him, I took the higher ground. But make no mistake, I do want to fight that guy, for sure. He needs to be taught a lesson. He needs to be put in his place."
Bisping went on to say he has never been beaten before in the first round, and doesn't expect Rockhold to be the first to do it, MMA Fighting reported.
"But I'll have a gentleman's bet," he said. "I'll challenge him to a fight, and the winner takes all, you know what I mean? I've never been finished in one round in my life. I've certainly never been finished in one round like he did against (Vitor) Belfort. So he just needs to shut up, really, and focus on his fights."
UFC president Dana White said Bisping is ranked number eight in the UFC's middleweight division, and that Rockhold is ranked number five, Fighters Only reported.
"They will meet each other anyway eventually, but Rockhold has got [Lyoto] Machida first," White said.
