Two fights that could well and truly put British MMA on the map

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When Michael 'The Count' Bisping steps into the octagon with MMA legend Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 Down Under, he will be the first of two men putting Britain's reputation on the line in the upcoming month.

A win for Bisping could potentially see him break into the middleweight title picture. However it will also do so much more for MMA over the pond, as his fight with Silva, and then Dan Hardy's title shot against George St. Pierre at UFC 111 represent a huge step up for British fighters.

A clash with a legend such as Silva will attract a lot of attention back in Bisping's home country and will attract many more casual fans than a Denis Kang or even Dan Henderson can ever do. It could turn those casual fans into avid followers, much like Ricky Hatton's legion of loyal fans.

Win decisively and Bisping will really exercise the demons on that famous knockout defeat to Henderson and also establish him into a real contender in the middleweight division.

You see, despite a lot of hate from American fans, Bisping isn't a bad fighter at all. He made mistakes against one of the best wrestlers in MMA, and wrestling is not something that is routinely practised over here.

I believe that because, for a long time, Bisping was the UFC's poster boy for their events in Britain, it was felt that he was slightly overrated. But as the competition gets tougher I expect 'The Count' to prove that to be false, starting with Silva in Sydney.

In fact, I think Bisping could hang with most of the strikers in the middleweight division, his movement is good and generally speaking he follows an effective gameplan, which is something I'm certain he will be putting together for this fight.

Bisping is also much more capable of scoring KO's than he has shown thus far in the UFC.

I expect Bisping to try to mix the strikes before taking Silva down and attempting to ground 'n' pound from inside his opponent's guard, much like he did in the second round of the Kang fight.

I don't know if he will attempt to try to use the same strategy of 'sticking and moving' like he did against Chris Leben, considering that Silva is a much more dangerous striker.

A lot of people tipping Kang to best Bisping at UFC 105 and despite a shaky start, he will take confidence from the fact that he outfought and ultimately defeated Kang in the second round.

If he can somehow pull out the win in Oz a fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama is apparently in the works, and Bisping will be confident of a clear run at the title.

Talking of titles, it will be Hardy's turn to challenge GSP in March and this match could do more for British MMA than any other.

Despite what a lot of people say, Hardy has done well to earn a shot at GSP and does provide a threat to the champion's belt. The last time Hardy was beaten, not including a DQ loss to Yoshiyuki Yoshida, was June 2006 and, despite always being the underdog, he has beaten everyone the UFC has put in front of him so far.

This match should attract much more mainstream attention considering that the belt is on the line, and the Nottingham fighter may find himself with the hopes of a nation on his shoulders come March 27th.

Indeed if Hardy does manage to pull off the impossible, which is possible, you can bet your bottom dollar (or pound) that the mainstream media in this country will finally pick up on MMA. After all, a champion is champion, and that is what British MMA could need to turn people's heads.

You may never see a Dan Hardy or a Michael Bisping being nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, but it would be nice for more of the mainstream media outlets in this country to acknowledge that they exist.

Don't get me wrong, if the worst happens and both fighters are beaten in their respective bouts it won't spell the end of British MMA's hopes for a title. With fighters such as Paul Daley, Terry Etim, John Hathaway, Ross Pearson and Andre Winner, among others, swelling the rank's of the UFC's roster it will surely not be the last time we see a Brit step into the octagon with a belt on the line.

In fact, next month may just be the beginning, and that is a mouth watering prospect for any fan of British MMA.