Michael Bisping Says Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker Are Competing For Participation Award

In an interview with “UFC Tonight” on FS1 (via MMA Junkie reports that, UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping gave his opinion on the interim title fight between Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero at UFC 213, which he says is just a “participation award.” Here are highlights:

On the interim title fight: “That doesn’t mean they’re fighting for my title. Nobody’s fighting for my title right now. Let’s just make this clear: Romero and Whittaker are fighting, and one of them gets a participation award. That’s all it is.”

On the decision to sign an interim title fight: “I’m not necessarily sure it was the right move, or even the essential move to make. … But the UFC has to do what they have to do. I understand that. There are a lot of people in the middleweight division that are complaining, especially when I was supposed to fight GSP, that the division wasn’t moving along. Now I’ve got an injury; it’s taken longer than expected for my return. Yes, I think it’s a little premature. But as I said, the UFC has got to do what they’ve got to do. And in my mind this just certainly (will define) the next No. 1 contender.”