Den nya mästaren i mellanvikt, Georges Saint-Pierre, berömmer Michael Bisping för att ha hoppat in med kort varsel mot Kelvin Gastelum. Bisping tog Anderson Silvas plats som Gastelums motståndare under UFC Fight Night: Shanghai tre veckor efter att ha förlorat titeln till Saint-Pierre.
Efter galan i Shanghai var det flera profiler inom sporten som höjde kritiska röster mot UFC’s beslut att tillåta Bisping gå match på så kort varsel efter en förlust via submission mot George Saint-Pierre. En som var kritisk till beslutet var UFC-kommentatorn och komikern Joe Rogan, som kallade beslutet för ”vansinnigt”. Saint-Pierre berömmer Michael Bisping men är kritisk mot UFC:
That was not a good thing to do medically. He took a big risk, and I respect that. He took a big risk. If he would have succeed, he would have been like a hero. ‘Oh my God, he just lost the title and came back with zero preparation, boom he wins a fight.’ I think he tried to do something that was very, very risky.
At the time if he would have achieved it, it would have been a very big reward for him. I can respect that. I can respect the idea that he had, the goal he had doing that. However, I believe for the UFC it was not good to let an athlete fight after getting concussed in a fight for the world title and then getting choked out. I don’t think it was medically a good thing for the UFC.
UFCs president Dana White säger sig inte ångra beslutet att låta Michael Bisping gå match på så kort varsel. Bisping uttryckte heller ingen ånger för beslutet, men har erkänt i efterhand att beslutet var impulsivt. Saint-Pierre förstår varför Bisping tackade ja och säger att han kan relatera till hur Bispings tankegångar gick:
For Michael, as a fighter, I understand his point of view,” St-Pierre said. “He wanted to turn around the table, and he wanted to do something that was special. I can understand that. Myself coming back after four years, it was a risk, and I wanted to do something special and succeed, and I did it. Unfortunately for Michael, it failed. But I can respect that from a man.
George Saint-Pierre är för tillfället skadad och förväntas inte försvara sin titel den närmsta tiden.
