In light of Mayweather vs. McGregor, Tony Bellew and Michael Bisping agree to boxing match
UK boxer Tony Bellew is up for a boxing match will fellow countryman Michael Bisping.
The news of Conor McGregor’s boxing megafight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. - set to take place on Aug. 26 - has spurred several MMA fighters to campaign for more crossover fights.
Jimi Manuwa, who was brutally knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 214, called for a boxing match against David Haye, and UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic wants to fight Anthony Joshua in the boxing ring.
But that’s not all. Former multiple-division boxing champ Tony Bellew, who beat ‘The Hayemaker’ earlier this year, is open to a fight with current UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping.
Bellew, who claims to have experience in grappling and kick boxing, would be willing to fight ‘The Count’ in the Octagon or the boxing ring.
"I can wrestle, I can grapple, I punch hard, I can kick and I've got some kickboxing experience," Bellew told Sky Sports in a recent interview.
Jon Jones, however, is off the menu.
"You can forget about me getting in the cage with Jon Jones [UFC light-heavyweight champion] - not a chance.
"But if you're asking if I would get in the cage with a puncher in the UFC? Mike Bisping is a guy who is predominantly known as a puncher and he's a very strong wrestler as well.
Bellew, who walks around at around 215 lbs., says he would cut weight to fight Bisping for the right ‘money’.
"I think I could get down to 185[lbs]. If the money is right, then Tony Bellew would happily enter a cage or a ring. Maybe let's do one of them each.
"I'm a Michael Bisping fan, but if the money was right then the fan stuff goes out the window."
Bisping, who is expected to defend his title against Georges St-Pierre in the fall, responded to Bellew on Twitter and said he is ‘100 percent’ down for a boxing match.
All good Tony. People twist things. But for the record, after gsp, I'm down to have a boxing match with you 100 percent.
— michael (@bisping) August 15, 2017
That's the plan. Wipe the floor with gsp, take out dopey Bollocks from oz then I'll box with bellew.
— michael (@bisping) August 16, 2017
Bisping, who has been ridiculed for accepting a title fight against GSP, is sure to come under more fire for entertaining a bout with fellow Brit, Bellew.
Although nothing has been confirmed, Bisping is expected to defend his middleweight belt against St-Pierre in New York at the upcoming UFC 217 pay-per-view. The blockbuster event is set to take place on November 4 at Madison Square Garden Arena.