Max Holloway, Paddy Pimblett, and Gable Steveson might not be getting paid as much as they thought for their fights at UFC 329.
All three are currently scheduled to have hearings Wednesday with the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding the possibility of their purses being held due to the fighters climbing the fence following their recent wins, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11. The news was first reported by MMA Junkie.
Now, UFC Hall of Famer and commentator Michael Bisping is coming down hard on the commission for even considering taking a portion of the fighters’ salaries.
“It all goes back to when [Pimblett] beat Benoit Saint Denis and what did he do? He celebrated,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “He jumped on the cage, like a lot of fighters do. He wasn’t the only one that night that jumped on the cage. No, Max Holloway did it. Gable Steveson did it. And they’re also under investigation and they may have their purses withheld or they potentially are going to get fined thousands of dollars.
“Now, this is utterly ridiculous. I hate this rule.”
Bisping recalled his own experience with cage-climbing at UFC 199, when he scored a shocking knockout over Luke Rockhold to become middleweight champion, and then had an emotional celebration. He doesn’t understand how the commission can punish fighters for enjoying themselves, especially in front of an energetic live crowd.
“I did it at UFC 199, which was in California, which is one of the strictest ones in the world,” Bisping said. “A lot of fighters jump on top of the cage. It’s one of the best bits, you want to celebrate, you’ve just won in front of 20,000 people, in front of millions of people watching all over the world. You’re allowed to celebrate winning. Certainly, if you’ve just won the world title.
“Boxers do it in a boxing ring. They jump on the ropes and salute the crowd. That happens all the time and apparently there’s no issue with that, but if MMA fighters jump on top of the cage, then they’re going to get fined, they might have their purses withheld. It is utter, absolute dogshit. It’s nonsense. It’s a crime. It is the athletic commissions trying to get a few bucks for themselves. This rule needs to be changed.”
It remains to be seen whether Wednesday’s hearing will result in Holloway, Pimblett, and Steveson avoiding punishment altogether or forfeiting a portion of their purses. Bisping would like to see the former result, and even better, the commission stop having hearings over cage-climbing altogether.
“I hope that gets laughed out of the courtroom,” Bisping said. “I hope they make a rule change. I hope that becomes a thing of the past. Nobody gets hurt, this is absolute bullshit. It’s nonsense, it’s silly, stupid. I respect the athletic commissions, I respect the sport, I respect the game. I respect everyone involved in this, but that is nonsense.”
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