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Alan Belcher feels that Michael Bisping literally lacks the ability to KO him, and he knows that this is a grudge match as well as an important fight when it comes to title contention.

Michael Bisping is, like most MMA fighters, highly competitive. A loss stings at him for a long time – well, at least until he has another fight lined up.

Bisping will face Alan Belcher in the co-main event next month at UFC 159. Both fighters are coming off losses, so a win is of the utmost importance to each middleweight.

“My last fight didn’t go to plan,” Bisping said, during a recent appearance on UFC Tonight. “I have to go out and get redemption for my last performance. I have to go out and knock him out. I want to prove I’m one of the best in the middleweight division and to do that, I’ve got to take him out and take him out in style.”

Bisping and Belcher have had their fair share of verbal battles, and “The Count” continued to stroke the fire.

“My last fight didn’t go to plan,” Bisping said. “I have to go out and get redemption for my last performance. I have to go out and knock him out. I want to prove I’m one of the best in the middleweight division and to do that, I’ve got to take him out and take him out in style.”

He went on to say, “He’s talked about tattoo bets. He’s sitting in the back of the Rolls Royce Phantom, showing off because he has a rich friend. That’s not what I’m about, showing off. I’m focusing on the fight. How about this? I challenge you to a fight on April 27, and the winner takes all the pride and glory. You can take your tattoos and your Phantom and stick them where the sun doesn’t shine. I’ll see you April 27 and I will beat you.”

While the main event between Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen is the obvious big fight for the night, this Bisping-Belcher contest has the chance to really unload with fireworks.

Michael Bisping feels his upcoming fight with Alan Belcher may be a walk in the park, but he does say that won’t keep him from training as hard as ever.

Recently on Twitter, Ben Askren sparked an exchange with Michael Bisping that led to some name calling and questioning of each other in terms of overall skill.

Askren, who works with Bisping’s next opponent, Alan Belcher, made sure to let “The Count” know that he will be in trouble next month when he steps inside the Octagon.

And Bisping, as you might expect, had some comments to make concerning Askren’s hair, his promotion (Bellator) and other subject matters.

During a recent interview with BJPenn.com, the current Bellator welterweight champion was asked about the feud.

I’m not too worried about it. I’m pretty secure in my skill set and I know how good I am. So when he goes (to questioning my talents) it doesn’t even bother me.

Askren did offer some praise for Bisping, saying he “actually has pretty decent wrestling defense. He’s kind of annoying to hold down.”

As you might expect, Askren picked “The Talent” to finish off Bisping standing.

With both Belcher and Bisping coming off defeats, a second consecutive loss could spell doom for that fighter in hopes of competing for the UFC middleweight title in the near future.

Askren’s next fight is currently unscheduled, though he knows the opponent, as Andrey Koreshkov claimed a future title shot by winning a recent Bellator tournament.

Michael Bisping has signed a two-year deal to remain an analyst with FUEL TV, the fighter revealed to BloodyElbow.com recently.

Bisping served alongside Chael Sonnen recently, and the two were widely-panned as perfect for the pre- and post-fight coverage.

“There’s a lot of down time in between fights, so this allows me to be productive,” Bisping said. “I think the next time I’m due back is in three-or-four weeks. I’m not sure how often I’ll be on.”

The English native lives in Los Angeles, so he doesn’t have to travel much to make the FOX studio.

As for his fighting career – both on the horizon and down the road – Bisping will face Alan Belcher in April at UFC 159. He also stated that he feels as though he can fight another eight years, and that working with FUEL TV “does not mean any interference with my fighting career.”

Personally, among those that have worked on the FUEL TV shows, the combination of Sonnen and Bisping seemed perfect.

Alan Belcher has blood in his eyes as he prepares to face Michael Bisping later this year.

The two will meet in the co-main event of UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen in April from New Jersey.

Belcher and Bisping have had a long-running feud through social media sites and interviews, and it includes both sides presenting bets that they will defeat the other.

Well, “The Talent” isn’t really joking around when he talks about what his plans for “The Count” include.

“He’s pulled some stunts inside and outside the Octagon that have made people not like him and not respect him,” said Belcher to Fighers.com. “I’m going to beat him, and I’m going to try to hurt him.”

Belcher (18-7) had his four-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Yushin Okami late last year. He was looking to score a potential title shot before the loss.

Bisping (23-5) was also defeated in his previous bout, as Vitor Belfort finished him in January.

After a close split decision win over Hector Lombard, Yushin Okami wants Michael Bisping next. The win over Lombard has extended Okami’s wins streak to three in a row.

Michael Bisping calls out the newly named #1 middleweight contender Chris Weidman, and he tells him he can’t beat Anderson Silva when they meet. Personally, it sounds like Bisping is pouting about losing to Vitor Belfort and subsequently missing his chance to fight Silva.

Michael Bisping likely gave UFC officials a bit of a scare when reports of a nerve issue he is battling became public.

Bisping, during a recent interview with ESPN, stated that he has a trapped nerve in his arm and that it is causing an atrophy. An atrophy happens when the muscle stops working because nerve signals are not getting to it.

“The way they’ve described it is that if you stand on a hosepipe, a lot of water doesn’t get through,” Bisping said. “The nerves along my right arm aren’t getting through. You could squeeze my peck, really get your nails into it, and I wouldn’t feel a thing.”

Bisping, though, who will face Alan Belcher in the co-main event of UFC 159 later this year, took to Twitter to calm all the “nerves” of people regarding his potential exit from the fight.

“Just to clarify, I am not having surgery, my fight with Belcher IS NOT in peril. I’m having a minor procedure, maybe to fix an ok problem.”

This appears to be a serious issue for Bisping, as he said he cannot make a fist and would likely need six months off to recover. Maybe, having been on such a continuous quest to earn a UFC middleweight title shot, “The Count” could use a few months off.

Photo credit: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting

Vitor Belfort did not fail any post-fight drug test as was rumored earlier this week.

However, Belfort was granted the use of a testosterone replacement therapy exemption prior to his victory over Michael Bisping in January at UFC on FX 7.

Bisping, who has talked in the past about how he feels the TUE for TRT is not right, released a statement via his own personal website Friday concerning the matter.

As some of you may know, I’ve just got back to Orange County from filming a movie in England. There have been dozens and dozens of interview requests and tweets about the recent news.

I’m back in England next week for the UFC on FUEL show, and right now all I really want to do is see my family, especially my daughter, who turned just turned 10 (happy birthday, Elle!). So, I wanted to do a short statement here and then move on to my fight with Alan Belcher, April 27th at UFC 159.

Here’s what I’ve got to say:

As I said right after the fight, I lost because I made a mistake and Vitor took advantage of it. It sucks. I don’t like it, but that was the result. I lost. Bottom line.

Over the past couple years, and even right before the fight, I have made my views on TRT very, very clear. I don’t feel that I need to go into depth about it again right now. All I have to add, about this specific instance, is that it is very disappointing that someone who was caught cheating with testosterone in the past, now gets to use testosterone legally. A well known side effect of steroids is that it reduces testosterone, so I don’t understand how it would make sense to then grant someone an exemption to then increase testosterone.

All that being said, I am not here to make excuses or cry over spilled milk. I fight in the best organization in the world, The UFC, and am very excited to work and earn a title fight, the right way. That process starts by whooping Alan Belcher’s ass at UFC 159 on Saturday, April 27th, live on PPV.

Thanks everyone for their support – can’t wait to spend some time with British UFC fans in London next week and I will be back, better than ever.