Georges St-Pierre criticizes UFC for allowing Bisping to return early after being concussed
GSP says he respects Bisping for taking the risk, but believes it was “not good” for the UFC to allow that to happen.
Michael Bisping was swiftly knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum in a very quick turnaround from his loss at UFC 217. Georges St-Pierre, who knocked down, elbowed and choked out Bisping to claim the title, says it wasn’t a good idea to allow his opponent to return so soon after all the damage he took in that contest.
“Medically, that was not the right thing to do,” St-Pierre said on TSN (transcript via MMA Fighting.). “However, if he would have succeeded — you know, he took a big risk and me, I can accept that because he took a big risk — if he would have succeeded he would have been like a hero. It’s like, ‘Oh my God, he just lose the title and then he come back with no preparation, boom, wins a fight.’ I think he tried to do something that was very, very risky, but at the same time if he would have achieved it, it would have been a big reward for him. So I can respect that. For him, I can respect the idea that he had, the goal that he had doing it.”
As a fighter, St-Pierre gives Bisping props for trying to get back on the horse, but he believes others shouldn’t have allowed it to happen.
“However, I believe for the UFC, that 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. But for Michael, as a fighter, I understand his point of view. He wanted to turn around the table and he wanted to do something that was special and I can understand that because coming back after four years myself, it was a lot of risk, and I wanted to do something special and I succeeded, I’m happy I did it. Unfortunately for Michael, it failed. But I can respect that from a man.”
On the same interview, GSP confirmed his diagnosis of colitis, likely stemming from forcing himself to eat so much to gain weight. He says this makes it unlikely for him to stay at middleweight to defend his title, leaving the UFC to consider Robert Whittaker vs Luke Rockhold for UFC 221.