Minutes after he was knocked out at UFC on ESPN+ 27, [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] was on the microphone, speaking to the world.
In his third promotional title shot, Benavidez (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) was flattened by Deiveson Figueiredo just short of seven minutes into the fight. After the official decision, UFC commentator Michael Bisping entered the cage. Bisping interviewed Figueiredo first – a common procedure for the winner. Then, to the surprise of some, Bisping conducted an interview with Benavidez.
While it’s not unusual for main event losers to be interviewed, oftentimes fighters who are put out cold are left alone. The interview surprised a number of viewers, who took to Twitter to voice their opinions.
Please don't interview Benavidez now. Christ.
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) March 1, 2020
We did not need a Benavidez interview.
— Mookie Alexander (@mookiealexander) March 1, 2020
Tough to interview Benavidez right now without all of his wits. Shades of DC after facing Jones a second time. Hats off to him for going out on his sword.
— Mike's MMA Picks (@MikesMMAPicks) March 1, 2020
Bisping didn’t speak about the aftermath of the fight until a recent interview with TheScore, in which he explained the process of talking to fighters post-fight. He explained it was not his decision to do so and said he was just following instructions from producers.
“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.”
While Bisping recognized the risk of interviewing a recently knocked out fighter, he doesn’t think the interview went poorly, all things considered. And he commended Benavidez for speaking to him.
“Joe handled it with class,” Bisping said. “I understand why you shouldn’t interview fighters that have just been knocked out. But I don’t think he was knocked out solid. Either way, I was following orders.”
Check out Bisping’s comments in the video above.
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