Michael Bisping in tears after blood-soaked fight with Anderson Silva

The day before he branded Silva a "cheat and a fraud” over a drug test the legendary middleweight failed a year earlier, telling him at the weigh-in that "all the steroids will not help you”.

But when the judges named Bisping the victor, 48-47, he paid tribute to The Spider, saying he "worshipped him” and looked up to him starting out.

"Things were said between me and Anderson” he told the sold-out crowd, "I worship this guy. This guy is the greatest martial artist of all time.

"That’s why I’m so emotional right now – this has been a lifelong quest. Anderson, I know said things. The respect I have for you, you cannot measure.

"You inspired me. When I started I was a young, cocky kid, saying things I regret. And the whole time I was looking at this guy thinking ‘wow, I want to be like that guy’. Anderson, thank you.”

The Manchester fighter also thanked his loved ones, his team and his countrymen for helping him to the victory.

The intense action saw Bisping, 36, repeatedly threatening Silva, 40, with blows and even knocking him off his feet as the stunned audience of 16,700 rose to their feet.

Yet when Bisping lost his mouthguard in the third round and appealed to the referee for a timeout, his Brazilian rival saw his chance and leapt in with a devastating knee attack, leaving him grounded.

With the buzzer immediately sounding the end of the round and each man’s crew pouring into the octagon, Silva mounted the cage to celebrate his victory – only to be told the clash would continue.

Blood-soaked Bisping fought the rest of the contest with his face a splash of red before he was awarded the win in a decision that has divided fans.

After the fight, Silva spoke in Portuguese to the fans in his native Brazil.

"What can you do man? You saw the fight, I thought it went differently and the mission was given,” said a translator.

"I want to thank everybody that was here, thank all my coaches, my teams. The mission was given and I thought the mission was completed but I guess not.”

Silva had earlier said he was unfazed by Bisping’s remarks ahead of the fight.

(dailystar.co.uk)