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Bisping: It'll be a travesty if I don't fight Anderson Silva

Michael Bisping is gunning for Alan Belcher © Getty Images

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Michael Bisping claims it would be a "travesty" if he ends his UFC career without sharing the same Octagon as middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Bisping has spent the majority of his career hunting down the brilliant Brazilian, falling multiple times at the final hurdle after losses to Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort.

The Brit begins a new assault on the 185lb title when he meets Alan Belcher at the end of the month at UFC 159, and insists it is unthinkable to consider his career without an encounter against the greatest of all time.

"Obviously I have the utmost admiration for Anderson Silva. He's proven time and time again that he's the best," Bisping told mixedmartialarts.com. I'm a big fan of Anderson Silva, his fighting style as well as him as a person. I've met him a few times, and he's a good guy.

"But he's also the guy I'd most like to fight as well. It would be a travesty if, when I retire, I've never fought him. I've been close a few times. But that's nobody's fault but mine. It's nobody's fault but mine and some TRT and some clever doctors."

Bisping's TRT jibe was aimed at previous opponent Belfort, who was granted Therapeutic Use Exemption to use TRT for their fight. However, it is Belcher who now dominates Bisping's thoughts.

"Alan Belcher's been calling me out for years. I used to feel sorry for him really. I had nothing against the guy, just thought he was a bit of an idiot. Now with some of the things he's saying, he's upping the ante and pissing me off.

"He thinks he's some great Thai boxer because he walks around in Thai shorts and he went to Phuket. I went to Thailand for three months, but I don't go around talking about it all the time.

"He's got decent Jiu-jitsu, but I don't see his knockout power. He's a middleweight so he should be capable of it, but I don't see it. His Thai boxing is mediocre, at best.

"No doubt, he's strong, but I'm better than him in all areas. If I lose, there is something seriously wrong. I've told my coaches that if I don't win, you're all f***ing fired because you're doing something wrong."

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