Weighing the Options of Michael Bisping

For the majority of Anderson Silva's legendary middleweight title run, England's Michael Bisping resided just outside of title contention. Though the Brit's station as an upper-tier middleweight was irrefutable, he was never quite able to earn himself a title shot, and so a bout with Silva always eluded him.

When the UFC returned to London on Saturday night, that finally changed. Sure, Silva's losing the belt to Chris Weidman meant that there was no title on the line, but after years of working, Bisping finally got the fight he'd been striving for. Better still, he got the fight on his home soil, and contrary to his underdog status, he managed to eke out a win, capturing a unanimous decision after five wild rounds of action. The victory is undoubtedly the biggest of his 35-fight career.

In advance of the fight, a confident Bisping claimed that when he defeated Silva, he would deserve a middleweight title shot. Sure, his recent loss to Luke Rockhold, who became the division's king with a December thumping of Chris Weidman, immediately rendered this claim somewhat debatable. Yet suddenly, the Brit's win-streak, which now includes decisions over CB Dolloway, Thales Leites, and Silva, is becoming difficult to argue with. It would not be shocking to see him awarded a shot at the winner of Rockhold and Weidman's June rematch.

That said, Bisping's loss to Rockhold is still fairly fresh, and it's hard to imagine him leapfrogging other contenders like Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Yoel Romero, and Vitor Belfort. As a result, the recently victorious Englishman could be forced to win one more before he finally gets his long-awaited shot.

So, in such an event, who might Bisping get next? Well, it should come as no surprise that a fighter of his skill and standing has plenty of exciting options.

If Bisping, who turned 37 the day after his defeat of Silva, hopes to earn a title shot while he's still in his competitive prime, the most expedient route would be a bout with another relevant contender. To this end, he could be paired with Dutch striker Gegard Mousasi, who also won big in London, bludgeoning Thales Leites to a decision in the evening's co-main event. Indeed, if they fought, it would be hard to refute the winner's claim at a middleweight title shot.

If not Mousasi, Bisping could also be paired with the young Robert Whittaker, who has found new life at middleweight after a hot-and-cold run at welterweight. Bisping and the 25-year-old Australian were briefly scheduled for a fight at UFC 193 last November, until a Bisping elbow injury nixed the plan. Provided Whittaker is able to get by Rafael Natal on April 23, the fight makes as much sense now as it did back in November, and would push the winner to the uppermost reaches of the middleweight rankings.

Should bouts with Mousasi and Whittaker fail to materialize, Bisping could also find himself on the canvas with the winner of Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson's looming rematch. If Machida wins, Bisping would have the opportunity to topple one of MMA's most vaunted strikers. If Henderson wins, he would have the chance to avenge a crushing knockout loss that occurred back at UFC 100 in 2009. Of course, neither Machida nor Henderson is the fighter they were a few years ago, but both fighters would still make quality additions to Bisping's growing list of victims, and would absolutely strengthen his claim to a middleweight title shot.

And finally, of course, there is the fight that many people—including Bisping—are already talking about: a clash with Stockton, California's Nick Diaz.

In the hours after the London card had wrapped up, Diaz took to Twitter to express his thoughts on Bisping's performance. He did so with a meme captioned "when you remain undefeated at home, even after being knocked out," referencing a late third-round controversy when Bisping was very nearly stopped by Silva as the horn sounded.

Bisping, who has never shied away from trash talk, then put his well-earned victory celebrations on hold to tweet a response.

So, there you have it. The road to a big-ticket Bisping vs. Diaz pairing is already being paved, and really, the fight makes sense for both men. For Bisping, it represents the chance to score another marquee win over a well-known name and solidify his claim to a title shot. For Diaz, the fight is a great opportunity to bounce back from his latest weed-related suspension, and get back to his winning ways. And finally, this is just the kind of big fight both men are after, so don't be surprised if we see it booked when Diaz's suspension wraps up in August.

Of course, Bisping may not want to wait that long. Time, after all, is not exactly on the aging Brit's side. Yet whether he opts for a late-summer scrap with Diaz, or to get back in their sooner with somebody like Mousasi, Whittaker, Machida, or Henderson, it's clear that he has no shortage of options. Though he unfortunately seems to remain a step or two shy of his long-awaited title shot, the road ahead looks like an exciting one for England's most recognizable MMA star.