- Michael Bisping set to work on the pads in front of spectators at Kerry Hotel
- He shared a joke with Dan Hardy and pretended to knee him in the head
- Englishman lost middleweight title at UFC 217 against Georges St-Pierre
- He is fighting Kelvin Gastelum on three-week turnaround in Shanghai
Consummate entertainer that he is, Michael Bisping put on a show for those gathered inside the Kerry Hotel in Shanghai to observe his open workout.
The Englishman, who was recently dethroned as king of the UFC’s middleweight division, set to work on the pads with his striking coach Jason Parillo on the receiving end.
It wasn’t just Parillo in Bisping’s sights as former fighter turned analyst Dan Hardy copped a faux knee to the face.
Michael Bisping performed a number of striking exercises during his open workout
The British UFC star shared a joke with his compatriot Dan Hardy (left) in Shanghai
‘The Count’ has always relished the limelight and put on a show for those watching on
Wearing white gloves with a gold Union Jack emblazoned on them, Bisping appeared to be enjoying himself, wearing a broad grin as he set about his work.
The 38-year-old unsurprisingly looked in top condition given that his defeat by Georges St-Pierre only came three weeks ago.
His fighting shape could be an advantage against Kelvin Gastelum who lies in wait in Saturday’s main event.
Gastelum needed an opponent after Anderson Silva was forced to withdraw following a doping violation and Bisping was only too happy to oblige.
He spoke about ‘getting back on the horse’ as soon as possible having been choked out by GSP though the ride may not be smooth against his American opponent.
The 26-year-old has age on his side but having floated between welterweight and middleweight, may give up a significant size advantage to Bisping.
Bisping has taken the fight with Kelvin Gastelum on short notice after losing his title
The 38-year-old suffered defeat by Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 but wanted to get back to it
Many thought Bisping might retire but he still has the passion for competition
And the build-up has been refreshingly amicable between the pair with Bisping joking: ‘Kelvin seems like a very, very nice guy – apart from the fact he does a little bit too much pouting on Instagram. Other than that, he seems like a lovely guy.’
The Mancunian No 2 ranked middleweight risks sliding down the rankings with a loss to the No 9 contender but such thoughts are far from Bisping’s mind.
Having been widely heralded for stepping up on short notice, time will tell whether the gamble pays off.
Gastelum has competed at both welterweight and middleweight during his career
The Englishman has kept things civil with Gastelum and says he respects his opponent
