Michael Bisping is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and he heard from former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans that the old style belts are worth a hefty sum of money.
“Rashad Evans, obviously (a) former champion. I was working with him last week, Rashad Evans…former champion, has a belt at home. I don’t know how many he has, I don’t know if he defended the belt or not…but he definitely has at least one (for) when he knocked out Forrest Griffin. He was having a conversation with Dana White, Dana White told him that the old belts…the ones that we have are worth $300,000 each. That’s what Dana White told Rashad Evans,” Bisping said on Believe You Me (via MMA World).
Before the new title belt design was revealed, a champion would get a new belt for each successful title defense, meaning a fighter like Bisping would have two separate titles.
Bisping finds the belt value a little hard to believe, but may take some steps to ensure his belts maintain that supposed worth.
“I know, that’s what I thought (that it wasn’t true). I just thought...because mine’s just been gathering dust back there. There’s another one in the other room just gathering dust, if I known they were worth $600,000 between them…I might…I might get them insured for one and then they get stolen, I’m joking. I might at least put them in some kind of case and keep the dust off of them, apparently Rashad Evans swears they’re worth $300,000 apiece. Which…yeah, I was happy…oh great, that’s good to know,” says Bisping.
There has been no comment from the UFC as to the actual value of the old title belts.
