Sunday 28 February 2016 09:04, UK
Michael Bisping earned a career-best victory to defeat Anderson Silva at UFC London having withstood everything the mighty Brazilian could throw.
The Lancashire veteran won a unanimous decision at The O2 Arena after surviving a hairy moment at the end of the third round when the legendary Silva was celebrating a knockout - only to be told the fight hadn't yet ended.
It was the crowning moment on the 37-year-old's 25-fight UFC career and puts him in a strong position to finally challenge for the middleweight championship, an opportunity that has eluded him throughout his decade-long run.
Bisping led the dance for much of the opener but the 40-year-old Silva was just getting warmed up, confusing the home fighter with awkward hand movement. At the close of the first round both men stung each other upstairs as things heated up.
Silva was at his playful best at the restart, voluntarily putting his back to the cage and goading Bisping in. The Brit would have none of it - backing up, hands on hips. They reengaged with Silva trying to throw Bisping off his focus with trademark dance-like movement - the Englishman duly floored him with a right hand and the bell to end the second round was a saving grace for the Brazilian.
The third round ended bizarrely as Bisping's mouthpiece fell out but, as the referee hadn't signalled to stop, Silva landed a devastating flying knee. Amid the chaos as Bisping dropped, bloodied, the Brazilian thought he had scored a knockout victory and began a lavish celebration. To the home crowd's joy he was reminded that he had merely heard a bell to end the round, not the fight.
The fourth saw the veteran pair tire but maintain the trading of strikes as the fight continued to avoid the floor. Bisping, suffering from the cut sustained from Silva's controversial knee earlier, had to be patched up in the final round but was buoyed on by a vocal support.
A front kick to the face from the Brazilian staggered Bisping backwards but the Brit eventually did enough to be awarded the decision, with all three scoring the fight 48-47 in his favour. Both men bowed down in a mutual display of respect at the conclusion.
Elsewhere, London veteran Brad Pickett tearfully vowed to fight on after winning a split decision against Francisco Rivera. The 37-year-old admitted he would have hung up his gloves had he lost a fourth consecutive fight but, after and back-and-forth brawl with Rivera, kept his 37-fight career alive.
Birmingham's Tom Breese, at the opposite end of his UFC journey, then ground out a points win over Keita Nakamura. Gegard Mousasi of the Netherlands won the co main-event over Brazil's Thales Leites via unanimous decision.
On the undercard, Scott Askham delivered the night's most impressive knockout with a head kick win over Chris Dempsey. Arnold Allen and Davey Grant also secured unanimous decision wins but it was a rough homecoming for three Brits.
Bradley Scott, Mike Wilkinson and Northern Irishman Norman Parke all came out on the wrong end of judges' verdicts.
