Bisping and Silva (right) (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

Michael Bisping had one of his finest and most memorable performances at UFC Fight Night 84, but Dana White believes the middleweight came up short against Anderson Silva.

Bisping got the better of Silva early on in the fight, and dropped the former champ in round two. Silva came back in round three and closed out the frame, by blasting Bisping with a flying knee (as he called for referee Herb Dean to stop the action and return his mouthpiece).

A bloodied Bisping took some heavy shots in rounds four and five, but he also pressed forward and landed some hard shots as well. After the bout, he was awarded the fight via unanimous decision, with 48-47 scores.

During the UFC’s post fight show on Fight Pass, White had this to say about the bout (quote via MMA Junkie.com):

“I have to watch it again there was so much craziness going on after the flying knee, but I believe that I had it even going into the fifth round and whoever wins the fifth round won the fight,” White said. “And I thought that Anderson Silva won.”

“…Anderson Silva, he’s fought once in the last two years. He looked very rusty in the first two rounds then as the fight went on longer he looked sharper, he looked better. Anderson actually looked really good tonight in a five-round fight for a 40-year-old guy whose fought once in two years.”

With the loss, Silva has been defeated in three of his last five contests. Bisping, meanwhile. has won three in a row.