Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. London’s Record Night & The Significance of Silva’s Return
3. Quick Stats
4. Main Event: Bisping Upsets Anderson Silva
5. The Round 3 Knee That Silva Thought Won the Fight
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 84: Silva vs. Bisping took place on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at The O2 Arena in London, England — broadcast exclusively on UFC Fight Pass. The card drew 16,734 fans for a gate of $2,000,000 — the largest attendance and highest gate for a UFC event in the United Kingdom to that date. The main event was a five-round middleweight contest between Anderson Silva — considered among the greatest fighters in MMA history — and Michael Bisping, the most commercially significant British UFC fighter of his era.
Bisping won by unanimous decision (48-47x3) in one of 2016’s most significant European MMA results. Silva’s return to competition was disrupted by a 12-month USADA suspension served before the London fight. The contest produced ten decisions across the card — tying a UFC record. Silva landed a flying knee in round three that floored Bisping and prompted Silva to begin celebrating the finish — before the round-ending bell rang and Bisping survived. Bisping controlled rounds four and five to secure the decision.
London’s Record Night & The Significance of Silva’s Return
Anderson Silva’s return to the UFC octagon came after a period of extraordinary disruption. At UFC 168 in December 2013, he suffered a catastrophic compound leg fracture fighting Chris Weidman — one of the most graphically devastating injuries in UFC broadcast history. He returned at UFC 183 in January 2015 against Nick Diaz, winning a decision, but the result was overturned to a No Contest after Silva tested positive for testosterone metabolites, receiving a USADA suspension. The London fight against Bisping was his first competitive appearance in 13 months, his first clean-record fight since UFC 162 in July 2013, and his first fight in the United Kingdom.
The O2 Arena sellout was driven by the commercial combination of Silva’s legendary status and Bisping’s domestic fan base. For British MMA audiences, Bisping fighting Silva in London was equivalent to a championship fight in terms of emotional investment. The 16,734 fans filled one of Europe’s premier entertainment arenas. The $2M gate was the highest for a UFC Fight Night event in the UK and the highest for any UK Fight Pass event. The card was the eighth UFC event in London and the fifth at The O2.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, February 27, 2016
📍 Venue: The O2 Arena, London, England (8th UFC event in London; 5th at The O2)
👥 Attendance: 16,734 (RECORD for UFC in the United Kingdom to that date)
💰 Gate: $2,000,000 (RECORD for UFC Fight Night in the UK)
📺 Broadcast: UFC Fight Pass EXCLUSIVE (not on Fox Sports 1)
🏆 Main Event: Anderson Silva vs. Michael Bisping — Middleweight (5 rounds; Silva's first fight after 12-month USADA suspension; Bisping’s home London fight)
✅ Result: Bisping def. Silva via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) — FotN $50k each; 10 decisions on card — tied UFC record
Main Event: Bisping Upsets Anderson Silva
The bout’s first two rounds were technically complex and closely contested. Silva’s lateral movement and counter-striking were partially intact despite the long competitive absence. Bisping’s jab, right hand, and body movement implemented a disciplined game plan: stay mobile, use volume, do not get drawn into Silva’s favourite counter-striking ranges. Bisping landed a knockdown in round two with a combination that put Silva on the canvas briefly before he recovered.
Silva’s performance illustrated both his remaining technical excellence and the effects of age and absence on his explosiveness. Bisping’s conditioning was superior in rounds four and five, where Silva’s pace declined and Bisping was able to dictate exchanges. The 48-47 unanimous decision was the widest scorecard possible for a fight in which both men won rounds; it reflected a fight where Bisping controlled more of the fight’s total competitive substance.
The Round 3 Knee That Silva Thought Won the Fight
Round three’s most dramatic moment came from Silva. As the round neared its end, Silva launched a flying knee that connected cleanly with Bisping’s head, dropping him to the canvas. The O2 Arena crowd, silent for three rounds, erupted. Silva moved toward Bisping and began celebrating, apparently convinced the fight was over. The round-ending bell rang as Silva raised his arms.
The fight continued. Bisping — whose recovery between rounds proved sufficient to resume — came out for round four and controlled the final two rounds. Silva’s premature celebration was one of the most discussed moments of the fight and reflected the genuine belief that the flying knee had ended the contest. Bisping’s ability to recover from the knockdown and win the final rounds was one of the performance’s most significant aspects — demonstrating his championship-level durability and mental resilience.
Full Results
Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Michael Bisping def. Anderson Silva — Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) — Middleweight (FotN $50k each; R2 Bisping knockdown; R3 Silva flying knee; Bisping won R4-R5; Silva celebrated prematurely at bell)
Gegard Mousasi def. Thales Leites — Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) — Middleweight
Tom Breese def. Keita Nakamura — Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) — Welterweight (Breese English; wins in London)
Brad Pickett def. Francisco Rivera — Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) — Bantamweight (Pickett British; wins at home in London)
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Makwan Amirkhani def. Mike Wilkinson — Unanimous Decision — Featherweight
Davey Grant def. Marlon Vera — Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) — Bantamweight
Scott Askham def. Chris Dempsey — [result] — Middleweight (PoN $50k; Askham English; wins at home in London)
Krzysztof Jotko def. Brad Scott — Middleweight
Rustam Khabilov def. Norman Parke — Lightweight
Daniel Omiełańczuk def. Jarjis Danho — Heavyweight (Danho’s UFC debut loss)
David Teymur def. Martin Svensson — TKO — R2, 1:26 — Lightweight (Teymur’s emphatic early win)
Teemu Packalen def. Thibault Gouti — [result] — Lightweight (PoN $50k; Packalen Finnish)
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: Michael Bisping + Anderson Silva — $50,000 each (R2 knockdown, R3 flying knee, R4-R5 Bisping control)
🥇 Performance of the Night: Scott Askham + Teemu Packalen — $50,000 each
Records & Milestones
• 16,734 attendance — UFC record for an event in the United Kingdom.
• $2,000,000 gate — record for a UFC Fight Night in the United Kingdom.
• 10 decisions on the card — tied the UFC record for most decisions at a single event.
• Anderson Silva’s first fight after a 12-month USADA suspension — his return to competition after the longest competitive absence of his MMA career.
Legacy & Impact
Bisping’s upset of Silva was the most significant win of his UFC career to that point and directly led to his June 2016 UFC middleweight title fight against Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 — which Bisping won by first-round TKO, becoming the first British UFC champion. The London win over Silva was the career-making result that made the Rockhold booking possible. It is retrospectively one of MMA’s most commercially significant Fight Night performances: a British fighter winning at home against a global legend to earn his country’s first world championship fight.
Anderson Silva’s London loss was the third consecutive competitive setback: the leg fracture loss to Weidman at UFC 168, the No Contest at UFC 183, and now the London decision. His remaining UFC career produced wins over Derek Brunson and Uriah Hall and a No Contest against Israel Adesanya before further appearances. The London fight is the first clear evidence in retrospect that Silva’s elite competitive output had passed its peak, while also demonstrating that his technical quality and entertainment value remained intact.
FAQ
Was Bisping a genuine underdog against Silva?
Yes. Silva’s record and legacy — 16-fight UFC win streak, 10 consecutive title defences, stoppage wins over Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, and Chael Sonnen — made him historically one of the most dangerous opponents any middleweight could face. Bisping’s losses to Henderson (KO) and Belfort (KO) and his inconsistent finishing ability made him a credible but not favoured opponent. The betting markets reflected Silva as the significant favourite despite his age (40) and his year-long absence.
How did the round 3 knee affect the fight’s outcome?
The knee dropped Bisping and clearly staggered him. If Herb Dean had intervened immediately with aggressive referee action, the fight might have been stopped. Instead, Dean allowed Bisping time to recover after the knockdown, and the round-ending bell arrived before Dean needed to make a decision. Bisping’s corner worked effectively in the minute between rounds to stabilise his condition. His ability to come out for round four and control the round demonstrated genuine physical recovery. The knee was the fight’s turning point that did not produce a finish; in retrospect it became a famous example of a fighter celebrating prematurely and a survivor’s comeback.
What was Anderson Silva’s USADA suspension for?
Silva’s USADA positive test came from a sample collected around his UFC 183 fight against Nick Diaz in January 2015. The sample tested positive for testosterone metabolites indicating the presence of exogenous (externally administered) testosterone. A secondary test found additional prohibited substances. Silva denied intentional use, citing contaminated supplements. USADA issued a one-year suspension. UFC 183 was amended to a No Contest.
How did this win lead to Bisping’s title fight with Rockhold?
Bisping’s victory over Silva, combined with wins over Thales Leites and Cung Le in the preceding year, made him one of the UFC’s most commercially compelling middleweight contenders in the European market. Luke Rockhold’s June 2016 title defence was announced against Bisping at UFC 199 in Inglewood, California. Rockhold had previously made public comments indicating he was not taking Bisping seriously as a challenger. Bisping knocked Rockhold out in round one with a left hand counter — one of the most dramatic championship upset finishes of the 2010s.
Why was the Fight Pass exclusive decision notable?
A 16,734-attendance, $2M-gate event with Anderson Silva in the main event being broadcast exclusively on UFC Fight Pass — rather than Fox Sports 1 — was unusual for a card of its commercial scale. The decision reflected the UFC’s European broadcast strategy: Fight Pass was the primary European digital platform, and London events were positioned as premium Fight Pass content for UK audiences who subscribed. The card’s commercial success demonstrated that Fight Pass could generate arena-scale attendance for European events without free cable broadcast support.
What happened to the 10-decision record on the card?
The 10 decisions at UFC Fight Night 84 tied the previous UFC record for most decisions at a single event (shared with UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi). The high decision rate was noted in post-event coverage as a consequence of the card’s technical fighter composition: European middleweights and welterweights with competitive styles that often produced long, grinding fights rather than early stoppages. The FotN award to Bisping and Silva reflected that their five-round main event was the most action-packed and consequential of the ten decision bouts.