Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping lost his middleweight title to GSP at UFC 217 on 4 November Getty

KEY POINTS

  • Bisping will step in for Anderson Silva to take on Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Shanghai.
  • The Briton only just lost his middleweight title to Georges St-Pierre on 4 November.

Former middleweight champion Michael Bisping will be in action yet again as he will step in for Anderson Silva to take on Kelvin Gastelum at UFC's debut Shanghai show on 25 November.

The fight will happen just three weeks after his UFC 217 loss to Georges St-Pierre on 4 November, where he lost his title to the French-Canadian via a third-round rear naked choke submission.

With murmurs of retirement leading up to the "GSP" fight, the Briton will instead have a very quick layoff as he will now travel to the other side of the world to take on the young but extremely dangerous Gastelum.

Gastelum was due to take on Silva in Shanghai, however, "The Spider" tested positive for an anti-doping test and was pulled from the event, making it the second time a match-up between the two has been called off.

With the UFC desperately in need for a short-notice opponent, Bisping answered the call this weekend and saved the show as he will now be fighting on two-weeks notice.

Coincidentally, "The Count" won his middleweight title back in June 2016 after defeating former champion Luke Rockhold on two-weeks notice.

Bisping stepping in for Silva has seen him receive a lot of praise on social media as, despite many being concerned with his health for fighting again so soon, the 38-year-old only further continued to show that he is a real "warrior".

Here are some of the reactions compiled below:

However, one person who is not so thrilled with the news is middleweight contender Derek Brunson, who had previously called for a fight with Bisping.

UFC