Michael Bisping on crazy third at UFC Fight Night 84: My fault for signaling ref Dean

Michael Bisping

LONDON – A stitched up Michael Bisping isn’t thrilled with referee Herb Dean’s performance following his career-high win over ex-champ Anderson Silva, but he also takes responsibility for a third-round lapse that nearly led to a loss.

“I was trying to say, ‘Herb (Dean)’ – that’s my fault,” Bisping told MMAjunkie at London’s O2 Arena after the UFC Fight Pass-streamed UFC Fight Night 84. “I’m too experienced to make those mistakes, and Anderson capitalized and well done for that guy.”

Silva (33-7 MMA, 16-3 UFC) sent Bisping (28-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC) to the canvas in the final second of Round 3 with a flying knee after Bisping tried to get referee Dean to halt the bout so he could replace his mouthpiece. Prior to that, Bisping had racked up considerable momentum in the fight’s first two rounds, at one point dropping Silva with a combination of punches in the second frame.

But despite the wild shift, which led Silva to momentarily believe he’d won the bout, Bisping said his will never wavered for continuing.

“I, of course, wanted to get back in there,” he said. “Whilst I have a breath in my body, I will always continue trying to fight.

“When the round stopped, I wasn’t sure what had happened. I was like, ‘Please don’t tell me this is over. I’m fine.’ Of course, when you’ve just taken a couple of knees and elbows, your faculties aren’t exactly the sharpest at that moment in time. But fortunately, I got the job done.”

Bisping took home a unanimous decision with scores of 48-47 across the board, with all three judges giving him the first, second and fourth rounds. Afterward, Bisping and Silva kneeled and bowed to each other in the center of the UFC’s octagon, reversing a tense week of exchanges in which the British vet called the ex-champ a cheater.

Prior to fighting Bisping, Silva had been benched nine months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission when he failed multiple drug tests in connection with a comeback bout at UFC 183 against Nick Diaz, overturning a unanimous decision to a no-contest.

As he did immediately after the fight, Bisping softened his stance toward his opponent, calling attention to his accomplishments over his fall from grace.

“Going into the fight, of course, were things said, but I have the utmost respect for Anderson Silva,” Bisping said. “This is the greatest fighter of all time. So for me, this was a personal challenge. This is by far the biggest win of my career.”

It was also, by far, the most damaging. The 36-year-old’s face was a topography of swelling and stitches as he made his way to the dais to answer questions.

But as he quipped to reporters, “You should have seen the other guy.”

Silva, 40, wasn’t there to respond. He was not in attendance.

For more on UFC Fight Night 84, check out the UFC Events section of the site.