CLITHEROE UFC ace Michael Bisping has vowed to prove the bookmakers wrong after being made an outsider for tomorrow’s middleweight tussle with American Luke Rockhold in Australia.

Bisping faces Rockhold in Sydney in the early hours of tomorrow morning UK time, hoping to earn a world title shot against champion Chris Weidman.

Weidman is in Australia to watch the fight and angered Bisping at the pre-fight conference by joining those who have tipped Rockhold to win.

Bisping responded by saying: “Shut up, Chris, it's our press conference.”

The East Lancashire fighter is confident that he will defeat favourite Rockhold, who has lost only two of his 14 contests.

“The bookmakers don't know what they're talking about,” Bisping said.

“From an outsider's perspective I can see why they would make Luke the favourite, he was on a hot run for a while fighting lesser competition.

“But I'll be glad after Saturday when I don't have to listen to his squeaky voice.

“He had two wins against sub par competition. They were first round stoppages against people who didn't know what they were doing.

“It's all well and good beatin gup part time fighters who are doormen at the weekend or whatever, but when you're fighting the elite best it's not quite that easy.

“But I can see why they make him the favourite, so good for them.

“Fortunately that isn't going to matter on the night, I look forward to proving those guys wrong.”

Bisping comes into this fight having stopped Cung Le in Macau in August.

Prior to that he was defeat by Tim Kennedy on his return from a long lay-off with a detached retina.

“With the Tim Kennedy fight, prior to that I’d sat on my couch for pretty much a year, I couldn’t do any physical exercise because it would raise pressure in the eye,” he said.

“From that I got cleared, I took a fight six weeks later and it didn’t go my way.

“In hindsight I should have taken a little longer and blew off some cobwebs, but I didn’t.

“I knew I was capable of better, I’ve shown that many times over the years and I came back and had a good win over Cung Le.

“I’m very happy with the way this fight camp has gone. I’m more than prepared.

“I've got many first round stoppages and I'm capable of one on Saturday.

“I'm in great condition, I can go the whole distance if necessary, I'm sure Luke is too.

“All that matters is the victory, a win is a win, but I'm looking to stop him of course.”