Michael Bisping understands why Dana White wants Jon Jones’ DQ loss overturned

From a promoter’s perspective, Michael Bisping can appreciate Dana White’s desire to have Jon Jones’ lone defeat overturned.

Back in Dec. 2009, a young Jones took on Matt Hamill in the co-main event of TUF 10 Finale. This was Jones’ fourth fight under the UFC banner. “Bones” was teeing off on Hamill with some vicious ground-and-pound. When referee Steve Mazzagatti called a halt to the bout, most assumed that Jones scored a TKO victory. Instead, he was disqualified for illegal 12-6 elbow strikes.

UFC president White reportedly said he’s working with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to get that loss overturned. In a recent edition of his “Believe You Me” podcast, Bisping said he can see why White is putting in the effort:

“Love the guy, don’t love the guy you gotta admire what he does inside the Octagon,” Michael Bisping said. “And technically undefeated, Dana White’s trying to have that disqualification loss to Matt Hamill overturned. I get it for marketing purposes. If I’m Dana White I want probably my best fighter to be labeled as undefeated. Because for those people that don’t know, Jones has a disqualification loss on his record to Matt Hamill in a fight that he was totally dominating. He was destroying Matt Hamill, he got carried away and he did a downward elbow.

“He [Hamill] was already getting the absolute living daylights beat out of him. So of course Matt Hamill’s gonna respond, well hold on. I think the thing was they asked him and he never responded. Well the guy’s deaf. No wonder he never responded, he’s gotta read the lips. And I’m not trying to be funny or be a d*ck about it. The referee said ‘I was asking are you OK?’ And he never responded, well the guy is profoundly deaf. And I’m not trying to make fun of him as I say, it’s a real factor. And then he had the sh*t kicked out of him, he was covered in blood, there was no way he was gonna win that fight. So of course he was gonna say, ‘yeah I don’t feel good.’ So the referee disqualified Jones. So I kind of understand it from Dana’s perspective.”

White’s attempt to have this Jon Jones DQ loss overturned has drawn strong opinions from notable names in the MMA community. UFC color commentator Joe Rogan sides with White and hasn’t been shy in criticizing the 12-6 elbow rule. Chael Sonnen, on the other hand, believes that rules are rules and the loss should stand.

Do you agree with Michael Bisping on this one?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 7/4/2019.