White: Bisping’s Fake Eye Is Fake News

Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Having watched mixed martial arts (MMA) for several years, I’ve seen a lot of things go flying across the cage. The most common object? A mouthpiece, but I’ve also seen teeth, snot, and pieces of ear set sail for the fourth row.

That said, I’ve never seen a fake eye go airborne.

Probably because most Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bouts are regulated by state athletic commissions, which requires each combatant to undergo a rigorous medical exam before stepping foot inside the Octagon.

Which is why UFC President Dana White is having a laugh over claims that former middleweight champion, Michael Bisping, somehow duped the onsite medical staff to sneak his fake eye into the cage on fight night.

“Before he had the surgery his eye used to point inward,” White told TMZ. “Got it fixed and … yeah. You aren’t duping the doctor, I mean the doctors look into your eyes. I would hope a doctor would know the difference between a real eyeball and a fake eyeball. I don’t think he duped anybody.”

I don’t think anyone disputes the fact that Bisping’s eye was completely fucked up and caused him all sorts of issues throughout his career. But let’s also remember “The Count” was required to pass a peripheral vision test following his eye surgery back in 2014.

As the fights (and abuse) wore on, Bisping likely suffered a deterioration in his eyesight, as well as his physical appearance, two factors that no doubt contributed to his recent retirement and led to the cosmetic addition of a prosthetic.