Michael Bisping: ''Withholding Paddy Pimblett's Fight Purse Because of Celebrating is Ridiculous!''

UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has strongly criticized athletic commissions for freezing the fight purse of lightweight star Paddy Pimblett. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bisping expressed anger after the Nevada State Athletic Commission withheld Pimblett’s money following his spectacular first-round victory against Benoit Saint Denis. The commission took action because the British fighter celebrated by climbing the Octagon fence to greet commentators. 

Bisping argued that punishing fighters for celebrating a hard-earned victory makes no sense. He recalled doing the exact same thing in California after winning his middleweight championship against Luke Rockhold. He stated that when emotions run high in front of thousands of fans, celebrating is completely natural. Bisping claimed these commissions are simply trying to make extra money off the athletes, pointing out how fighter Diego Lopes was previously fined twenty-five hundred dollars for a similar celebration.

The former champion compared the celebration fine to the widely criticized and recently overturned ban on 12-to-6 elbows, calling both rules completely foolish. To close out his video, Bisping shifted focus to the future of the lightweight division. He stated that a major showdown between Paddy Pimblett and former champion Charles Oliveira for the BMF belt would make perfect sense next.