Michael "The Count" Bisping

Born on 28th February 1979, in Cyprus to British parents, Bisping grew up in Clitheroe, England. He started training in the martial arts from a very young age, initially in jiu-jitsu and later in kickboxing and MMA. His resilience and natural talent were evident from the early stages, and he soon emerged as one of the best fighters on the UK's regional MMA circuit.

Bisping became an international star after he won The Ultimate Fighter 3 in 2006. His arrogant personality, trash talking, and brawling style of fighting made him a polarizing but interesting figure in the UFC. He started his career as a light heavyweight before cutting down to middleweight, where he found his calling.

Throughout his career, Bisping was a top middleweight contender each year but never managed to receive a title shot. He lost to sport legends in high-profile bouts such as Dan Henderson (UFC 100) and Vitor Belfort.

His fight against Belfort in 2013 was a turning point—not for a victory, but because it resulted in a life-changing injury. Belfort, who was receiving testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) at the time, landed a brutal head kick that hurt Bisping’s retina in his right eye. His vision continued to deteriorate over time, resulting in a detached vitreous, a condition where the jelly-like substance in the center of the eye detaches from the retina. His eye was ultimately left virtually blind.

Scared that admitting the injury would end his career, Bisping even resorted to dishonesty with doctors and commissions. He would recite the eye chart or bob his head in a way that masked the truth that he couldn't see out of one eye. Successful at deceiving the doctors, he continued to fight for years after that, even against some of the best fighters in the world.

Even at such a massive disadvantage, Bisping continued to win, employing his ability, determination, and sheer heart.

And then, in 2016, finally, after all those years of being overlooked, Bisping was given an eleventh-hour opportunity to fight Luke Rockhold for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 199—at 17 days' notice. Rockhold had submitted Bisping in 2014 and was heavily favored to defeat him again.

But Bisping shocked the world when he knocked Rockhold out in the first round to become the first British UFC Champion. The victory was even more impressive since he did it with one good eye.

Bisping retained his title in a brutal battle against Dan Henderson at UFC 204 in Manchester, England.

He lost his belt to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 in 2017 via submission. He also had a perilous bout with Kelvin Gastelum three weeks later but got brutally knocked out. At this point, he knew he needed to retire.

Bisping finally opened up about his secret post-retirement, revealing that he had fought for years with one eye. It was a wild and incredible decision that highlighted his incredible resilience but also the damaging extent fighters go to fight.

He went on to become a UFC commentator, analyst, actor, and a host of a podcast following his retirement. His autobiography, Quitters Never Win, was a bestseller, and today he is one of the most popular figures in MMA. In 2019, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Bisping's story is one of determination, deception, and unyielding combativeness. He battled against adversity, despite being held back, and became a world champion—while keeping one of the darkest secrets in UFC history.