• UFC 127

Akiyama's a greater KO threat than Rivera - Bisping

Yoshihiro Akiyama had Michael Bisping seeing out of one eye for an entire round at UFC 120 © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: History tells us Rivera will fall on his own sword
  
• News: Bisping wants title eliminator by July at the latest
  
• News: Bisping 'would welcome' title eliminator with Okami
  
• News: Rivera is 'seriously f****** deluded' - Bisping
  
• News: Bisping claims he would 'get in the face' of Anderson Silva
  
• News: Bisping backed to teach Rivera a brutal lesson
  
• News: Sakara would have been tougher than Bisping - Rivera
  
• Profile: Michael Bisping

To guarantee your front-row seat for UFC 127 on February 26, subscription details can be found here.

Michael Bisping continues to laugh off claims Jorge Rivera will prove too 'heavy-handed' for him at UFC 127, insisting Yoshihiro Akiyama was a bigger knockout threat.

Rivera claims Bisping will not be able to handle his power in Sydney, a claim the Briton instantly labelled "f****** deluded".

Bisping ate a huge right hand from Akiyama before producing one of the performances of his career to triumph at UFC 120, and he claims the Japanese, having famously knocked out Denis Kang, was a greater KO threat.

Rivera knocked out Kendall Grove back at UFC 80 but, as Bisping points out, the stoppage came as a cumulative result of relentless strikes.

"Akiyama's the bigger knockout threat, I've not really seen Rivera put anyone away with one shot," Bisping told ESPN. "Rivera's got heavy hands and he has taken people out, but I've not seen him do it with one punch and KO anyone.

"Akiyama's definitely done that. He took out Denis Kang one-punch with that uppercut, he's done it to a few people and he almost got me - the bastard!

"Akiyama's the far more powerful puncher than Rivera. The majority of people in the UFC are heavy-handed, particularly with four-ounce gloves on. Anyone who can throw a punch will knock someone down if they hit on the button in four-ounce gloves, so I'm sick of hearing about this heavy-handed bulls***."

Bisping admitted after the Akiyama fight that he could not see out of one eye throughout the entire first round following an early bomb from the Judoka, and he believes he has a gameplan if Rivera throws a similar punch.

"Fingers crossed if I see a big right coming I'll either duck or get my hands up!" quipped the Brit. "But you don't go in the rain without getting wet, and a lot of times you don't go in a fight without getting punched. It's how you deal with it that matters."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.