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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC will hold a media teleconference on Tuesday to hype next week's UFC Fight Night 55 card, which will be headlined by the middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold.
In advance of the media event, the UFC released quotes from both fighters relaying their take on the beginnings of the feud, which picked up steam after comments from Bisping suggesting he got the best of Rockhold in a sparring session.
"I simply don't like Bisping," Rockhold said. "This all started when I went down to help him with some sparring even though I was carrying an injury and out of shape. Afterwards he thanked me for helping out - but then went on national television and rubbished me. Believe me, he got 10% of me in that session, and I will make him pay for disrespecting me on TV."
For Bisping, the comments were much more benign, and he feels Rockhold's been far too sensitive about what was actually said.
"I made an off-the-cuff remark while trying to be funny on TV. I said it with a laugh and a smile, and I apologized and said it was just a joke, but this guy simply takes himself far too seriously to get over it," Bisping said. "Luke has no sense of humor, unless you count going out in public dressed like a teenager. But, either way, I kicked his arse in sparring and I will kick his arse in the Octagon."
Penick's Analysis: There's been nothing but talk between the two since Bisping made those comments, and though the fight itself still doesn't make sense - both for its location and the fact that Rockhold's simply higher up the ladder than Bisping at this point - the UFC has that feud to sell here. That's what they're doing, that's what we're getting, and both get a chance to settle a personal score in Australia next week.
[Michael Bisping art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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