Mike: [Really loud] ARRRRRGGGH! MAXIM! WHAT'S UP!
Maxim: [Laughs] Mr Bisping. How are you? Shall we do this?
Mike: CRACK ON!
Maxim: Okay, so going right back, when did you first relise you had an ability to inflict pain?
Mike: When I was about 7 or 8 years old. I started doing Ju Jitsu and I used to love it at the end of the sessions when we’d get the gloves on and spar. Sparring kept me going back again and again. I loved getting the gloves on getting the chance to kick the shit out of each other!
Maxim: It’s quite handy if you enjoy that in your line of worth, huh?
Mike: Yeah! I love sparring and I love my job.
Maxim: How long you do you train per day?
Mike: When you’re training for a fight I’d say you’re doing about five hours per day, which is broke up into little bits. You’ll run early in the morning, then you’ll do a couple of hours mid-morning and then a couple of hours in the evening. Monday, Wednesday, Friday you’ll do MMA sparring in the evening, in the mornings you’ll do a mixture of Muay Thai and wrestling and boxing. You’ll do everything that the sport covers and break it down into a schedule that requires 4-5 hours per day training.
Maxim: Is the training the hardest part of MMA?
Mike: Most definitely. The fight, in some respects, is the easy part. That’s when you get paid, that’s when you get the glory and that’s when you get everyone cheering for you. No-one’s cheering at 6 in the morning when you go out running, know what I mean?
Maxim: Considering all the different elements to MMA, do you think it should be on the Olympic programme?
Mike: Yes, of course, I’m all for it being an Olympic sport. MMA encompasses a lot of sports that are already in the Olympics – Judo, wrestling, Tae Kwon Do – the only difference is that we do them all together. Some people think it’s gruesome because we can strike on the ground, but hopefully one day it will be an Olympic sport that we can be proud of. MMM derived from a sport called Pankration, one of the oldest sports in the ancient history of the Olympic Games, so it stands to right it should be reinstated.
Maxim: Which Olympic sports will you be watching in 2012?
Mike: My brother Conrad is disabled and will be competing in the Paralympics in the Shot Put and Discus. He’s ranked third in the world at the moment, so has a chance of a medal, and I’ll be watching him very closely.
I also enjoy the weight lifting and the boxing and the athletics.
Maxim: What other sports and sportsmen do you admire?
Mike: Gymnasts, believe it or not, as they are just incredible athletes. I enjoy watching rugby, too. I’m not so much of a football fan. When I was a kid I also grew up watching boxing and was a big fan of Frank Bruno.
Maxim: Pre-fight, what sort of thoughts are going through your head?
Mike: First thing in the morning you got to have a nice, big breakfast. The days beforehand you have been starving yourself somewhat and dieting down to make weight, so having a good breakfast sets you up nicely. Then I go back to the room and just chill out and do whatever to take my mind off the fight. I don’t want to talk about the fight and I don’t want anyone around me to talk about the fight, as you can use up a lot of nervous energy. So maybe I'll watch a movie, chill out and then have a nice lunch, as that’ll be the last meal you’ll have before the fight.
Then I’ll go back to the room, shut the curtains, try to take a nap, which can be difficult as some nerves might be kicking in. Generally I manage to take a nap, then my manager or one of my team-mates will wake me up and we’ll head over to the arena. From there, it’s all business.
Maxim: What about after the fight?
Mike: My friends and family who come and follow me will be around me. I like to win a fight and then I like to go out and party afterwards! I like to enjoy myself and party my arse off!
Maxim: What three pieces of advice would you give to any novice MMA fighters or boxers?
Mike: First off you have to find a good gym with a good team and good coaches. You have to have a good level of tuition as it’s a technical sport and you have to be shown the right things. Secondly, if you are going to do it you have to devote yourself to it and give 100% to it every day. You can play with it and pick it up and put it down – you need to work hard. You don’t want to be in the ring in a fight when you haven’t prepared properly – it’s the loneliest place in the world. And thirdly, enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it, try something else. If you enjoy it, you’ll try harder and you’ll get better and succeed.
Maxim: Finally, what’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Mike: Keep your fucking hands up!
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller will premiere at 11pm with a two-hour long special on Thursday 22nd September on FX.
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