Michael Bisping has been a consistent force in the UFC since his victory on the third season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and in his United Kingdom home for London’s UFC 120, he was going to put his skills to the test against the very capable Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama.
The only three losses in Bisping’s career have come against truly high-level fighters: Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva. Akiyama did not enter the UFC 120 cage with their level of prestige, but he brought a solid chin, hard strikes and great judo to the table. Would it be enough to silence Bisping in his home nation?
The result follows:
Michael Bisping b. Yoshihiro Akiyama via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
*Story of the fight: At the end of the day, Bisping was simply the better fighter. Akiyama rocked a tentative-looking Bisping with punches in the first round, but once Bisping settled into a comfort zone, he had the clear edge.
Although Akiyama’s punches often looked more dangerous, he simply could not keep up with Bisping’s overwhelming pace. As the first advanced, Bisping became more and more confident, picking Akiyama apart with combinations at a rate the Korean simply could not match.
To his credit, Sexyama did a great job of absorbing Bisping’s blows, and he repeatedly found a way to do damage with right hands. But his onslaught simply paled in comparison to the overwhelming effort of Bisping, and the “Ultimate Fighter” winner claimed victory in what was the best match on the card.
