Fight Club: Michael Bisping's 19 Rules

Britain’s biggest mixed martial arts fighter reveals the rules you have to follow to mix it with the big boys. Can you guess what the first rule is?

The UFC is no longer a freak show, it’s a billion-dollar fighting organisation that’s televised in 147 countries. It’s big business and as any MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fan will tell you, what goes on in the octagon is not wrestling.

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This is a sport, and the men who participate are world-class athletes who are being courted by major global sponsors. The other rather excellent thing about the UFC is that Britain produces some of the best fighters.

The undisputed leader of the British charge is Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping, a 31-year-old who got his chance in the big leagues after winning the UFC’s reality TV competition The Ultimate Fighter. Originally a successful light-heavyweight fighter, Bisping has gone from strength to strength since dropping to middleweight and, after his recent destruction of Yoshihiro Akiyama, now has his sights firmly set on the world title. Not bad for a bloke who used to work in a slaughter-house and DJ at the weekends.

We know what you’re thinking. That’s all well and good, but what does it have to do with you? Here’s what.

While your opponent might be your love of a takeaway, rather than a grown man attempting to twist your head off, the philosophy for victory (or fitting into your 32” jeans) is the same. “It’s about having the will to win,” Bisping tells FHM. “You need to be determined to succeed and be better than anyone else. I hate the thought that my opponent might be training, when I’m sat at home, which is why I keep in shape by following these rules.”

1 Stick to your routine

“I like a drink as much as the next man, but starting from 12 weeks before a fight, I cut out alcohol, because it hinders my goal. That goal is to perform well while doing the sport I love in front of millions of people around the world. For me it doesn’t get any better than that, which means the pub can wait. After all, it will be there next week, next month or in ten fucking years.”

2 Get up, get out, get going

“I get up for a four-mile run at 6.30am every day. It’s a pain in the arse, but once I’m out there it feels great. Of course when it’s pitch black and pissing it down in the winter, that’s a different thing…”

3 Train hard, or don’t bother

“For me, it’s jujitsu, some wrestling and grappling work. Then on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday I do hard sparring, which is three rounds of MMA sparring against a new man every 90 seconds. Tuesdays and Thursdays is muay thai for about an hour and a half. And on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I do boxing.”

4 Run to lose weight

“It’s that simple really. If I have a few pounds to shed to make weight, the best way to do that is running. If you run before you’ve eaten, you’re using your fat as an energy source, so running in the morning will always shift flab.”

5 Work your whole body

“You can’t isolate one muscle group and expect to succeed. Big biceps or abs might look good, but they won’t help you in an actual fight situation, so you’re far better working on your overall functional strength - strength you can use.”

6 Explode

“Stamina about movement. To improve this area I clean and press sandbags and do sets of box jumps and bunny hops, as they aid explosive power.”

7 Build your core

“Core strength is crucial in all sports and in MMA it’s essential for balance. The two-point box exercise, where you go on all fours, then touch your opposite knee and elbow under chest, before stretching them out in a half-superman, is good for this.”

8 Have a big brekkie

“It’s true what they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When I’m training, it’s porridge with bananas, strawberries, raspberries and peanut butter for good fat.”

9 Fuel up

“After morning training, I have a protein shake, then a turkey pitta with spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms. After this I relax, then I train again, follow it with another shake and then in the evening I eat more turkey – because it’s so high in protein and low in fat – and lots of veg.”

10 Compete for a reason

“I fight for my family, and so I can provide them with a better lifestyle. And when I’m in the changing room before a fight, I think about them and how much further I want to go.”

11 Psych out your opponent, not yourself

“As soon as you’re in the arena, you’re playing mind games. Of course you’re nervous, but you’re trying to imbue confidence, look the part and make sure a bit of doubt is running through your opponent’s mind.”

12 Enjoy what you’re doing

“There’s no point in doing a sport if you don’t enjoy it, so if you’re not looking forward to the next class or sparring session it’s not for you. MMA isn’t a sport you can pick up and put down.”

13 Learn from your losses

“The sign of a true champion is how he comes back after a loss. People reckoned I was finished when I was knocked out last year, but next fight, I wiped the floor with a top ten guy. I accepted that I was doing something wrong, went back to the gym, worked on it and came out a better fighter.”

14 Never underestimate your opponent

“Every opponent has a different set of skills, and everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. This is the premier league of fighting, remember that everyone could give you something to worry about.

One of the main things that gets me going is people punching me in the fucking head.”

15 Have mental, as well as physical strength

“There are a lot of fighters out there who are fantastic in the gym, but awful on the night and this comes down to mental fitness. You can be as technically brilliant as you like, but if you aren’t mentally strong you will never get anywhere.”

16 Never panic

“The moment you panic or lose control you are going to make mistakes, so no matter what position you find yourself in, you always need to think clearly and work out how you can survive the attack and then outlast your opponent.”

17 Have a plan, stick to it (for a bit)

“MMA fighters are trained in discipline and respect, so you can’t just walk in, have a bar fight and hope for the best. You need to study your opponent and come up with a game plan. A lot of the time it goes out the window as soon as you get punched in the face, but still…”

18 Reward yourself…

“There’s no point in suffering if you can’t reap the benefits, so post-fight I treat myself by indulging my guilty pleasures. These mainly involve food and alcohol, but also partying.”

19 ...but keep your eyes on the prize

“It’s easy to get your head turned when you become successful, but I’m just an average guy, so I try not to think about things like ‘coolest man’ or ‘best fighter’ lists. Lists don’t matter. Only one thing matters - the day I will be a world champion.”

From the February 2011 issue of FHM India.