UFC 204 Bisping vs Henderson II preview: Fans forced to stay up late for hometown hero

The UFC roadshow rolls into Manchester this weekend, as middleweight champion and British star Michael “The Count” Bisping makes the first defence of his belt against Dan Henderson.

The two men squared off more than seven years ago at UFC 100 in Las Vegas. Henderson took the spoils on that occasion via a devastating, highlight-reel knockout. The veteran Greco-Roman wrestler still uses the silhouette of him flying through the air to land a final blow on an already unconscious Bisping as the logo for his personal brand.

So the Brit will be out for revenge. And it would be a revenge made sweeter by the fact that he will be the hometown favourite fighting in front of a cheering crowd, making a welcome change from the jeers he is usually subjected to when competing in the US.

The UFC has drawn criticism from many quarters for putting this fight together. Henderson is currently ranked number 12 in the official UFC rankings and the Vegas-based fight promotion elected to forgo higher placed, more deserving contenders in favour of making a rematch that will have greater marketing appeal. The 46-year-old Californian has vowed to retire after the fight, win or lose.

Bisping, at 37, is somewhat of an unlikely champion. A 10-year veteran of the Octagon, the Cyprus-born fighter has spent most of his career ranked in the top 10. But following a run of four defeats from seven bouts between 2012 and 2014, many felt that his days as a genuine title contender were behind him.

However, a three-fight winning streak – starting with a 2014 victory over CB Dolloway and peaking with a decision win over all-time great Anderson Silva in February – brought “The Count” right back into the title discussion.

Still, he had to form an orderly queue behind the likes of former champ Chris Weidman, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Yoel Romero, who were all better placed for a shot at Luke Rockhold’s championship.

But when Weidman was forced out of his rematch with Rockhold at UFC 199 in June, Bisping was first to raise his hand and volunteer to step in. The Brit was substantial betting underdog, thanks in no small part to the fact that he’d suffered a second round submission defeat to the AKA fighter just 18 months earlier.

Bisping had other ideas, though, and dethroned the champion via a first round knockout in Inglewood, California.

And in an effort to capitalise on Bisping’s enormous popularity in the UK, the UFC have decided to stage his maiden title defence in his hometown of Manchester.

If the Ultimate Fighter season three winner gets his hand raised this weekend, he will hold the record for the most wins in the entire history of the UFC; not bad for a former DJ from Manchester.

The middleweight king can expect a royal welcome when he walks to the Octogon on Saturday night. But the fans inside the Manchester Arena will be forgiven if their enthusiasm is not at the usual fever pitch level for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, although the event was reported to have sold out within minutes of being put on sale, thousands of tickets were immediately placed onto Ticketmaster’s resale site, meaning many fans will have been overcharged for the privilege of attending Bisping’s grand homecoming.

Secondly, in an effort to maximise its potential pay per view sales, the UFC has decided that the event should be scheduled to suit the American TV audience. Meaning that the main card isn’t expected to start until 3am on Sunday morning in Manchester, with the main event likely to take place around 5am.

Hardened British UFC fans will be used to staying awake until such times to watch a live event taking place in the States but many will be much more accustomed to recording the live action at catching up on it at a more reasonable hour. And, as is usually the case with European UFC shows, when the fights are taking place outside America, you’d expect them to be staged at a time suited to those attending live.

So, no matter how exciting the action is inside the Octagon, don’t be surprised to see a yawn or two from the fans inside the arena.

Hopefully the scheduling won’t have too detrimental an effect on the fighters themselves, though. Many of whom, like Bisping, reside in the US and will try to remain on their usual sleeping patterns during their short stay in England.

Aside from the title showdown, there will be plenty of British fighters for the crowd to get behind. Hard-hitting Londoner Jimi Manuwa squares off against Ovince Saint Preux on the main card, with Davey Grant, Ian Entwistle and veteran bantamweight Brad Pickett on show in the preliminary fights.

In the co-main event, Brazilian former light-heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort will put his raw speed and power up against the skill of Dutchman Gegard Mousasi in a middleweight contest.

There can be no doubt about who the Manchester faithful will have come to see, though. A respectful farewell will be bade to a retiring legend in the form of Henderson, but a Bisping victory – with the gold belt held aloft on home soil – will be the perfect end to a long night.