Michael Bisping uttalade sig i tisdags om Alexander Gustafssons prestation mot Glover Teixeira då britten medverkade i MMA Talk/MMApodcast.com. Den brittiske fightern skrädde inte på orden då han gav svensken både ris och ros. Han inledde podcasten med att hävda att svensken sprang ifrån sin motståndare (”like a little bitch”). Här kan ni se hela klippet:
Efter den kritiska men något skämtsamma repliken Bisping igång med att ösa beröm över The Maulers insats.
First and foremost, what a performance! He looked absolutely outstanding. He really did. It was incredible. His speed was, he was saying going in to that fight that he felt like he was the fastest guy in the light-heavy weight division and to be honest after the hands that he was throwing on Saturday(sic) on Sunday.. he was like lightning and he was incredible. It was a great performance and that finish, you know three jabs, uppercut, stepped off and a right hook put him down.
Bland lovorden över uppvisningen fanns det ändå en skarp kritik riktad mot Gustafssons fotarbete. Han utvecklade sina tankar i dessa ordalag:
It was beautiful. But the one thing that did stand out that I didn’t like that you just mentioned that everybody mentioned he kept turning round…turning his back and running away. Listen, I’m not knocking his performance, he was outstanding… I’m a big fan of his work. He’s a gentleman. He’s a great addition to the UFC roster and seriously has potential to be champion one day. But I just don’t like that. You’re not supposed to turn your back and run away.
Of course you can retreat. You use your footwork; you take a couple of steps back… You pivot. You do whatever it is. But you don’t turn your back and run like that. You just don’t. And listen, it was an amazing performance as I said, and I apologize Alex if by there’s a bloody tiny chance that you’re listening, but you don’t turn and run like that.
Bisping är inte ensam om att ha kritiserat just detta. Gilbert Melendez ska enligt journalisten Rob Tatum uttryckt sig med liknande ord.
Michael Bisping and Gilbert Melendez have been highly critical of Alexander Gustafsson’s turning his back and running. #UFCStockholm
— Rob Tatum (@RobTatumMMA) May 28, 2017
Expressen rapporterar att Gustafsson svarade på kritiken på presskonferensen efter matchen.
– Det här är en fajt och det var en del av min strategi. Glover är en stark kille – han knockar folk. Så jag tänker inte bara stå rakt upp och ner och boxas med honom. Det här är MMA och du måste jobba med det du har. Det gjorde jag och min strategi funkade, säger han.
