Michael Bisping: “I’d happily share a beer with Rockhold”

At one point, Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold were two of the most bitter rivals in MMA. From the sounds of it, the animosity between them has diminished.

The pair went 1-1 across two bouts, with Rockhold winning the first by submission and Bisping winning the second — a short-notice title opportunity — by knockout. In the lead-up to and fallout of these bouts, the pair exchanged tons of trash talk and clearly got under each other’s skin.

Today, Bisping still feels that Rockhold is “a bit of a tit,” but admits that he doesn’t have any lingering grudges against his former foe.

Bisping points to the fact that Rockhold is good friends with Daniel Cormier — a man he respects greatly — so he can’t be that bad.

“Me and Luke Rockhold, I mean, listen, the guy’s still a bit of a tit, isn’t he?” Bisping said on Submission Radio. “Let’s be honest. But I will say this, Daniel Cormier, ‘DC’ is a great guy, I’ve got a tone of respect for that man, and he’s like best mates with Luke Rockhold. So, I guess Luke Rockhold can’t be that bad, otherwise DC couldn’t be friends with him. So, I think if we met under different circumstances, who knows, we could be going surfing together. Not that I surf, but you know what I’m saying.

“Yeah, I don’t give a shit, mate,” Bisping added. “I don’t hold grudges against anybody. Well, there’s a couple of people back in England that if I get my hands on then I’ll wring their necks, but other than that, there’s nobody professional. Listen, those days are behind me now. I have no ill will. I wish everybody the best. I don’t have any grudges, and yeah, I’d happily share a beer with Rockhold.”

What do you think of Michael Bisping burying the hatchet with Luke Rockhold?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 4/16/2020.