Michael Bisping was confident and brash from Day 1.
Bisping (30-9 MMA, 20-9 UFC) took part in Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” as a light heavyweight and picked up two first-round finishes en route to a finale showdown with Josh Haynes.
Entering his fight with Haynes in 2006, Bisping was undefeated, having finished every single one of his fights, and his bout at the “TUF Finale” would go no differently.
Haynes came out swinging wildly from the opening bell, but Bisping was able to show off his strength early, as he landed takedowns and threw solid shots in the clinch. However, the opening round also saw Bisping deducted a point after throwing an illegal knee to a downed Haynes.
The scorecard sanction wouldn’t matter, though, as Bisping made his dominance count in Round 2. He dragged Haynes to the mat on numerous occasions as he emptied his opponent’s gas tank before putting his man away with ground strikes to secure the biggest win of his career at the time.
The victory saw Bisping crowned “The Ultimate Fighter,” and marked the start of an incredible UFC career. But “The Count’s” UFC tenure wasn’t without its trials and tribulations. He fell agonizingly short in a host of pivotal bouts, but ultimately achieved his lifelong goal when he stepped in on short notice to rematch then-champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 199.
With bad blood brewing between the two, and with Rockhold holding a decisive submission win over the Brit from their first meeting, few gave Bisping a chance. But Bisping shocked the world, as he knocked out Rockhold in the first round to becoming the UFC middleweight champion.
Check out the fight that started it all for Bisping via the video above as he defeated Haynes to become “The Ultimate Fighter” and earn his first UFC contract.
UFC free fight: Michael Bisping wins Season 3 of 'The Ultimate Fighter'
