Bisping Wants Interim Title Fight vs. Belfort If Anderson Silva Goes on Break

Michael Bisping isn't pleased that Anderson Silva expects a vacation from the Octagon for most of next year. However, "The Count" has a recommendation for the UFC.

Directing a Twitter message at Dana White, Bisping has stated that his upcoming title eliminator fight with Belfort should have far higher takes. Specifically, a UFC belt:

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@danawhite if Anderson wants to take time off to be a movie star make me and vitor for the interim title???? — michael (@bisping) November 12, 2012

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Silva made waves recently during an interview with TATAME,  where he suggested that he would be taking a sabbatical from defending his belt until the end of 2013. As the middleweight champion noted, his upcoming role in a new Steven Seagal film will keep him busy, along with opening a new gym.

If that's the case, Silva would be out of competition for over a year. Coupled with the fact that his last title defense happened at UFC 148 against Chael Sonnen on July 7th, the middleweight title picture would be on hold for quite a while.

However, the UFC is unlikely to grant Bisping's request.

Silva has only competed twice a year since 2009, and the UFC will likely be lobbying hard to get Silva back into the Octagon to help fuel a superfight with Jon Jones or Georges St. Pierre.

Moreover, an interim middleweight champion has never been crowned in the promotion's history. It's hard to fathom that an interim belt would be awarded to either Bisping or Belfort at UFC on FX in Brazil in January, effectively disrupting the current lineage of Silva's UFC middleweight championship reign.