Michael Bisping says Tom Aspinall needs to understand the harsh nature of the UFC business.
UFC heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is expected to be sidelined for months after undergoing double eye surgery. Aspinall says he’s had double vision ever since he was poked in both eyes during his title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 this past October, which was ruled a no contest.
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When false rumors spread of Aspinall being asked to vacate his UFC heavyweight title, Bisping understood it. While that’s not currently the case, Bisping sees a decision being made about the future of the heavyweight title very soon.
“I understand what Tom’s saying, OK? Because you do feel like the whole world has turned on you,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “And certainly, he wasn’t the person at fault. He wasn’t. But this is the world that we live in. The show must go on. I went through multiple eye surgeries. I wasn’t in constant communication with the UFC. They weren’t calling on me, checking on me. I got a call from Dana White when he called me.
“I’m not talking sh*t, by the way. They’ve got a business to run. They’ve got a worldwide, massive corporation to run, putting on the best fights on the planet, OK? And if someone gets hurt, well then that’s a real shame, but the show goes on. We’re stepping into a cage with four-ounce gloves on, trying to beat the sh*t out of another human being. … If you get hurt at work and you can’t do your job on a Monday morning, the business still continues.”
Bisping clarifies that he’s not being unsympathetic towards Aspinall, but that the division has to proceed. He sees UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) as a shoe-in for the title picture, especially after he recently hinted at something big.
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“I understand that he’s pissed off and he’s going through a lot right now,” Bisping said of Aspinall. “Just ignore all of that sh*t. Just come back and win your next fight, dominate the next few, make tons of money and retire. But in the meantime, let’s get back to Alex Pereira. If (Aspinall) isn’t fighting anytime soon, and it certainly looks like he isn’t fighting anytime soon, then this, ‘1-2-3 and go’ from Alex Pereira to me, is clear as day.
“He’s fighting for a third belt sometime soon. … Alex Pereira deserves a third shot at a belt. If Tom is on the sidelines right now and Jon Jones is actually retired because of all the arthritis in his hips, he is, Alex Pereira, the next guy, the most logical guy. He’s done it all at light heavyweight. There isn’t really anyone there for him, anyway.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Bisping sees UFC opportunity for Alex Pereira with Tom Aspinall out
