Bisping To Make Middleweight Debut In March

Earlier this week, the UFC's Thomas Gerbasi announced that TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping would be dropping to his natural weight class following a less than stellar effort against Matt Hamill and a split decision loss to Rashad Evans.

UFC's Middleweight class is well known for being the least deep while controlled by the sport's most dominant champion. These contrasting truths make this an interesting decision on Bisping's part. On one hand, he will most likely be considered a Top 5 fighter in the division whereas among the 205 pounders, he wasn't among the Top 10. On the other hand, once he climbs the short ladder to a title shot, he'll have his ass handed to him by the most dominant UFC champion since Chuck Liddell.

Bisping elaborated on the move: “Even though I’ve never fought at middleweight, I’ve gone back and forth with the decision to go down pretty much my whole career.  Even from my very first pro fight (April 2004), people were telling me that I was a little too small for the light heavies. But I kept winning and, at least before I stepped up to the UFC, I was winning easily so I didn’t really take much notice.”

He'll make that transition at a UFC event in March -- no word yet on whether this will be UFC 83 or a Fight Night event. Sherdog confirmed the announcement with this statement: "The Ultimate Fighter 3" winner's first opponent will be fellow TUF alumnus Charles McCarthy. Sources close to American Top Team confirmed to Sherdog.com that the fight will take place in London, England on March 8."