Michael Bisping explains decision to interview Joseph Benavidez following KO loss at UFC Norfolk

Moments after suffering a knockout loss to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Norfolk, Joseph Benavidez was on the microphone answering questions from Michael Bisping.

The bout had served a Benavidez’s third attempt at claiming UFC gold, this after two failed attempts against MMA legend Demetrious Johnson.

Unfortunately for ‘Joe-Jitsu’, the third time proved not to be the charm as he was flattened by a Figueiredo punch in round two. The Brazilian would quickly jump on his wounded opponent, and promptly finished Joseph Benavidez off with ground and pound.

Mere minutes after the bouts conclusion, Michael Bisping put Joseph Benavidez on the mic to speak with a worldwide audience.

“I just feel like this isn’t real right now. But.. It’s like some freaking nightmare. I had a lot of visions talking to you after (the fight) and about a lot of things that were going to happen but they didn’t. I mean sh*t man life is tough. I know everybody is going through ups and downs everywhere. This is mine. It is on display. I’m lucky to be alive I guess,” Benavidez said to Bisping with a laugh. “But, I worked my ass off for that and it didn’t go great. Thank you to all you guys for coming out.”

While it is not uncommon for main card fighters to be interviewed following a loss, an exception is usually made for those coming off of a knockout defeat.

Michael Bisping recently sat down with TheScore where he revealed that it was not his choice to interview Joseph Benavidez following the conclusion of the UFC Norfolk main event.

https://youtu.be/FQ6gI1H4ci0

“I did hear a lot of people mention it, and I haven’t commented,” Bisping said. “… I have an earpiece in and they tell me what to do. The truck, as it’s known – you know the people in the trucks? – they call the shots. They decide whether a person is going to be interviewed or not. They tell me how many questions. I don’t think I’m revealing any trade secrets here. They said, ‘Yeah, go ahead and see if Joseph wants to speak.’ So I went and saw him.”

What did you thinking of Michael Bisping interviewing Joseph Benavidez following his KO loss to Deiveson Figueiredo? Share you thoughts in the comments section Penn Nation!

March 21, 2020