The middleweight championship has had quite the journey over the past calendar year. Luke Rockhold dominated Chris Weidman to win the belt at UFC 194, ending the title reign that knocked off the legendary Anderson Silva. But before Rockhold could garner any traction in a title reign of his own, he was knocked off by the brash Michael Bisping at UFC 199.
Bisping was a long time veteran, entering the promotion during season three of The Ultimate Fighter, winning the light heavyweight bracket. Since then he has been a staple of the promotion and an integral figure in the UFC expanding into Europe.