Cage fighting champion Michael Bisping refused to sign a new contract after claiming his management threatened to kill him, the High Court heard.

Current world UFC MIddleweight title holder Bisping is involved in a punch-up with former manager Anthony McGann who is suing him for £270,000 in unpaid fees and expenses dating back ten years.

But Bisping told the High Court he refused to sign a renew his deal claiming years of threats and bullying were 'a breach of contract.'

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UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping, pictured today outside the High Court claims he was threatened by former management team after he failed to sign a new contract in 2012

The High Court heard Bisping, pictured, first signed with Anthony McGann and his Wolfslair MMA Gym in Liverpool back in 2005. McGann is suing Bisping for £270,000 in unpaid fees

Michael Bisping, pictured in the Octagon in September 2012 denies he owes £270,000

Bisping first signed a contract with Mr McGann and his Wolfslair MMA Gym in Liverpool back in 2005.

However in 2012 he split with the gym, claiming they were 'violent people' and moved to the US train full time with different management.

Mr McGann is seeking £270,000 from his former fighter which he says is owed to him after six years representing him.

However Bisping denied he ever signed a contract with Mr McGann and he understood the agreement was with the Wolfslair gym.

Giving evidence at the High Court today Mr Bisping denied he had signed the contract when he was shown a copy of the document in court.

He said: 'I accept that is my signature on that document. It appears on a contract that I didn't sign, but it is my signature.'

He admitted he didn't fully read the whole contract when he signed it, but said the document put before him in court was several pages longer than the one he signed in 2005.

Mr Bisping said: 'At the time he said to me "sign it, if its not fair than it won't stand up in court". That was his advice.'

The case, which continues at the High Court in London, pictured, has lasted eight days

He added: 'That's not the contract that I signed. It didn't have the name put on it and it wasn't this date.

'Anthony McGann, and the others, they are concocting lies to the invoices and fabricated the entire thing. That's been my stance from day one.'

The court also heard Bisping had at one stage sought to use the services of handwriting expert to examine the contract as he believed his signature may have been copied onto the document.

He said: 'It shows that from day one that I knew there was some skullduggery going on and there was so much nonsense we didn't know what to believe.

'At the start we were going through all of it to decide what battles to chase.'

Addressing the judge, Mr Richard Salter, QC, he added: 'It's all a fabrication your Lordship. I have never seen any of them in my life.

'They've talked about time sheets. I have never in my life heard of an MMA gym that uses time sheets. It's all lies and a fabrication.'

In the contract that was signed there was a clause for the McGann and Wolfslair to receive a 20 per cent commission which Bisping said he had paid fully.

Bisping took part in the reality TV show the Ultimate Fighter which he won in 2006.

Nigel Lawrence QC, representing Mr McGann, said his client had negotiated the terms for the TV deal, which Bisping denied, saying instead he went to to the open auditions at Earls Court with other fighters from the gym.

The court also heard details of bonuses which fighters would get following a big fight, sometimes as high as £200,000, which would be handed to them by UFC President Dana White in a brown envelope.

Bisping denied McGann would ever negotiate the terms of bonuses and said: 'Sometimes you would never get one and you would leave very deflated.

'It was completely at UFC's discretion.'

In 2011 he claimed McGann and Wolfslair team attempted to negotiate a renewal of the contract on similar terms which Bisping did't want to sign as he felt the contract had come to an end.

Mr Lawrence asked why in 2011 did he not bring up any of the problems he had with his management with Mr McGann.

Mr Bisping said: 'There was no point in bringing it up. I thought I was moving on. The six years were up.

'They were violent people and there had been threats over the years and I was trying to make it a smooth transition.'

Mr Bisping also accused his former management of breaching the terms of the contract and said: 'When they get the sponsorship money and didn't give it to me.When they threatened to kill you then that's a reason to move on.

'There were threats over the years and I would say that was a breach of contract.'

When the claim was put in to the court McGann set out the details of the money he was seeking, and in return Bisping asked for a copy of the original contract.

He said: 'The wanted to know if their bluff had worked. They have sued so many fighters which have left the gym and moved on.

'This is what they do. They bully people through the court until they get a settlement.'

He added: 'They were trying to swindle money out of me.'

Mr Lawrence asked him about a meeting in Las Vegas with McGann in which they verbally agreed to renew the contract with a commission of 15 per cent and as long as he paid any money they was owed the gym.

The fighter said: 'No, they know and I know that I don't owe them a penny. I don't owe them anything whatsoever.'

The trial, which is in its eighth day, continues.