Bisping shuts down Gaethje's claims he was 'unprofessional and biased'
Michael Bisping plays down Justin Gaethje’s claim that he was ‘very unprofessional’ and ‘biased’ on commentary for Leon Edwards’ win over Kamaru Usman, claiming American was just being ‘a loyal friend’
- Michael Bisping was accused of being biased by Justin Gaethje at UFC 286
- Commentator was working on Leon Edwards’ clash with Kamaru Usman
- Gaethje is team-mates with Usman, who lost in the main event in London
Michael Bisping has responded to Justin Gaethje’s claim that he was biased on commentary for UFC 286.
The former middleweight champion, now broadcaster, was told by the American that he was ‘very unprofessional’ in his work on the main event fight between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman.
Usman is Gaethje’s team-mate and the lightweight said: ‘I thought he [Usman] won the fight, but I’m probably as biased as the judges. Certainly not as biased as Michael Bisping.
‘He shouldn’t have been nowhere near a microphone during that fight. It sucks… I just thought it was very unprofessional.’
And Bisping then responded on his podcast, saying: ‘Justin’s just being a loyal friend and a loyal teammate.
Justin Gaethje has hit out at Michael Bisping for being ‘very unprofessional’ at UFC 286
Usman (L) suffered a majority decision defeat against Leon Edwards on Saturday
‘When you’re watching a fight and you want your friend, your teammate to win, the good stuff that they do, in your mind, is emphasized.
‘It is amplified. It is a bigger deal than what it is. And the stuff that the opponent does to your friend, you dismiss it. … That’s just the human mind. That’s how we work.
‘When someone that we respect, when someone that’s our friend that we’re supporting, when they’re doing well, we amplify it in our mind. When anything bad happens, we play it down.
‘So Justin firmly believes in his head that Kamaru won that fight. And because I said on the microphone afterwards, ‘Well, Leon clearly won that fight,’ which I thought that he did in a close fight – in a close fight. All the rounds were close.
‘Leon didn’t smoke him in any of the rounds, but I thought generally Kamaru might’ve had one or two rounds. Maybe one, maybe two. I’d have to watch it again.
‘But listen, Leon won the fight. But all rounds were close, and Justin is just being a good teammate.’
‘Listen, I’m not ripping on Kamaru,’ Bisping added.
Nobody was declaring the result a robbery and most had Edwards winning on the scorecards
‘It was a very close fight, but Leon clearly won in my opinion, and the judges echoed that sentiment.
‘And I think generally, universally everybody agrees. I haven’t seen any outcry of robbery or anything like that.’
Gaethje’s comments were made right after the main event, with his own victory over Rafael Fiziev coming in the co-main event.
Both fights were closely contested and ‘The Highlight’ claimed a majority decision only to see Usman lose by the same result.
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