Michael Bisping is finally getting a UFC title shot.
Chris Weidman was forced to withdraw from his UFC 199 main event bout with Luke Rockhold due to a neck injury.
UFC president Dana White announced Wednesday afternoon that Bisping has been named Weidman’s replacement.
Bisping (28-7) has won three straight, including a thrilling five-round unanimous decision over Anderson Silva in February. The 37-year-old’s last loss occurred in November 2014 when he was submitted by Rockhold of all people.
Rockhold (15-2) has won five straight by stoppage and took the 185-pound belt from Weidman at UFC 194 in December.
Bisping is currently the No. 4-ranked middleweight contender. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who is coming off a dominant first-round TKO win over Vitor Belfort last weekend at UFC 198, is the No. 2 contender but he is dealing with a knee injury and was unable to take a fight with Rockhold on short notice.
Weidman explained in a lengthy Facebook post that he had been dealing with a stiff, sore neck since last week. The former champ figured it would subside but it never did.
“I had severe vertigo which I never experienced before. I was losing my balance and not walking straight and the neck was worse then ever. So I got scared and ended up going to an urgent care where they sent me to get a MRI. I then found out I had a large extrusion herniation, which was stuck on a nerve that shuts down the triceps and forearm area,” Weidman wrote. “So I figured I could get an epidural and I would be good and there was zero chance in my head I was pulling out…After finally getting the epidural, nothing changed. During this time I couldn’t sleep or get through any regular-day activity with the pain I was experiencing. I actually felt my best when I was working out but I couldn’t survive throughout the day and night without painkillers and other medication to try to block nerve pain.”
Weidman was willing to fight through his injury, but his trainers and loved ones insisted he pull out of the fight. Weidman says his neck injury will require surgery. You can read Weidman’s full statement on his official Facebook page.
UFC 199 takes place June 4 in Inglewood, Calif. The co-main event features a bantamweight title bout between rivals Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.
Here is the complete fight card to date:
MAIN CARD
— Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping
— Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber
— Max Holloway vs. Ricardo Lamas
— Dan Henderson vs. Hector Lombard
— Dustin Poirier vs. Bobby Green
PRELIMINARY CARD
— B.J. Penn vs. Cole Miller
— Brian Ortega vs. Clay Guida
— Beneil Dariush vs. James Vick
— Jessica Penne vs. Jessica Andrade
— Sean Strickland vs. Tom Breese Light
— Jonathan Wilson vs. Luiz Henrique da Silva
— Kevin Casey vs. Elvis Mutapcic
— Polo Reyes vs. Dong Hyun Kim
