(Edit as of 3/19/12: Less than 24 hours after announcing the addition of Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le at UFC 148, UFC officials on Monday confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that Michael Bisping would face Tim Boetsch on the July 7 event in Las Vegas, as well).
The middleweight division is actually building up some depth of contenders right now so I thought it'd be interesting to do a quick rundown on Michael Bisping's options. He looked fantastic in a losing effort to Chael Sonnen in a bout that really could have gone either way. Most people (myself included) thought Sonnen would have his way with him but Bisping looked great and actually elevated his stock in a split decision loss to the longtime #2 middleweight. A lucky break here or there and Bisping could be the guy facing off against Anderson in June.
First things first, let's figure out the major players and top 10 guys of the middleweight division. Anderson Silva (185 champion of the world and #1 p4p in the world) is facing off against Chael Sonnen in June for the middleweight championship. Wanderlei Silva is facing off against Vitor Belfort and this bout is rumored to be the co-headliner for the same card. Yushin Okami just lost via KO to Tim Boetsch in February on the spectacular Japan card so he's not an option that makes sense right now. Brian Stann faces off against Alessio Sakara in March in Sweden. Nate Marquardt has dropped down to welterweight and will face off against Tyron Woodley so he's out. Damian Maia has made mention of dropping to 170 also so he seems to not be an option either.
With all of the names above, it really only leaves a couple of fighters for Bisping. Keep in mind, Joe Silva (UFC match-maker) likes to match up winners with winners and losers with losers. Also, Bisping just fought in January so he's most likely looking for a May/June return date. Bisping is most likely a top 5 guy at middleweight now so he needs to be matched up with a top 10 guy and a fighter that has a well known name. When you look at the above stipulations, Mark Munoz, Chris Weidman and Boetsch are all available, top 10 guys and they should fit into Bisping's timeframe. Let's do a quick breakdown of all three potential matchups.
1). Bisping/Weidman: I like this fight but I think it's too soon for Weidman. He also didn't have a good showing against Maia on the Fox card (he did have short notice so not his fault) so I think he should get another fighter out of the top 10 to advance his progression and to get fans more familiar with his name and fighting style. If he pulled off a win against Bisping, they'd have to give him a title shot and he is not anywhere near ready for a monster like Anderson. He's a great prospect and I think the UFC should bring him along slowly so they make sure they don't rush him. If he develops better striking to go along with his other world grappling skills, he'll be a force in the division for years to come.
2). Bisping/Boetsch: Boetsch (respectfully) called Bisping out after his insane come from behind KO of Okami. I immediately thought no way, way too soon. But if you take a step back and look at Boetsch's recent resume, it actually makes a ton of sense. Boetsch is riding a 3 fight winning streak (decision wins over Kendall Grove, Nick Ring and a KO of top 5 fighter Okami). Bisping is 5-1 in his last 5 fights and Bisping would be a worthy contender to the 185 title by beating Boetsch. The only drawback is that Boetsch (with a win over Bisping) would most likely need another win at 185 after Bisping to ensure a title shot. This would also eliminate a potential contender in Bisping so this would put the Sonnen/Anderson winner on the shelf waiting for a worthy contender.
