UFC Fight Night 55 Results: 3 Fights for Michael Bisping to Take Next

Michael Bisping’s lengthy tenure as a top contender in the UFC’s middleweight division may finally be at its end. Having been convincingly bested by Luke Rockhold at UFC Fight Night 55, it’s hard to imagine the 35-year-old Brit re-establishing himself as a viable title challenger.

It’s a sad fact that Bisping may be remembered as one of the sport’s great "nearly men," his title aspirations having been frequently thwarted by opponents fueled by synthetic testosterone.

The TUF Season 3 winner was never quite good enough to actually claim a UFC title, but his ability should have at least earned him a shot at the gold.

The Mancunian is now approaching his late 30s and has lost four of his last seven fights. Bisping’s post-fight interview was characteristically defiant, but even he must be questioning his ability to compete with the elite of the middleweight division.

Where does he go from here? Let’s take a look at the Brit’s options.

Gegard Mousasi

USA TODAY Sports

Gegard Mousasi is one interesting option for Bisping. With both fighters coming off recent losses, the timing appears to make sense.

Stylistically, the pair match up nicely. Both are well-rounded but prefer to ply their trade on the feet. At the very least, it would be an entertaining contest for the fans and would give both men an opportunity to reassert their value to the roster.

At 29, Mousasi still has a lot to offer the sport. One imagines the chance to claim such a significant scalp would appeal to the Dutchman.

Mark Munoz

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Mark Munoz was scheduled to face the Brit in late 2013, but as is often the case, the injury bug intervened and robbed us of the opportunity to see that fight.

Whether the pair would still be willing to fight each other is debatable, given that they have recently become training partners at Reign Training Center.

They are both at similar stages of their careers, so it would make sense to match them up. Neither man is likely to break into the division’s top five again, but the fight would provide the opportunity for both men to re-establish some kind of relevance at 185 pounds.

Tim Boetsch

USA TODAY Sports

The UFC is generally reluctant to match up fighters coming off a win with fighters coming off a loss, but in this case, it might be worth making a rare exception.

Having recently bested the underrated Brad Tavares, Tim Boetsch finds himself just inside the middleweight division’s top 15, so one imagines he would be more than happy to take a crack at Bisping, who is currently on the fringe of the top 10.

Additionally, the pair’s contrasting styles could produce an interesting contest for the fans. It has “Fight Pass Co-Main Event” written all over it.