• UFC on Fox 2

Bisping predicts there is no way Sonnen can finish him

ESPN staff
January 18, 2012
Michael Bisping has only been stopped once in his UFC career © Getty Images
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Michael Bisping has predicted that Chael Sonnen is not good enough to KO or submit him at UFC on Fox 2, after the pair were thrown into each other's path at late notice on Tuesday.

An elbow injury to Mark Munoz means Bisping and Sonnen will now face off for a direct chance to fight middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Meanwhile, Bisping's original opponent Demian Maia gets the tough task of Chris Weidman.

Reacting to news that he has been given arguably the biggest fight of his life, Bisping predicted that Sonnen will have to go three full rounds with him in order to gain victory.

"Dana hadn't even finished saying Munoz was out before I was planning how to beat Sonnen in my head. I've accepted fights on short notice for the UFC throughout my career, but this one is a massive, massive chance for me, and I am very grateful to Dana, Joe Silva and the UFC," Bisping told Fox.

"I was already hugely grateful to be asked to fight on Fox, but to fight Chael on Fox ... well, there are hundreds of fighters who would kill for this opportunity, and I would have had to be a fool to turn it down.

"Next week, I'm ready to go all guns blazing. A fight is a fight, and at this level anything can happen, but all things being equal, Chael Sonnen cannot knock me out. He can't submit me, either.

"The worst that is going to happen is that he will outpoint me and, if I don't beat him, I didn't deserve a title shot against Anderson Silva anyway."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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