Michael Bisping shares his version of Shanghai confrontation with Jorge Masvidal

Several months ago, on a March episode of BJ Penn Radio, Jorge Masvidal shared a story of yet another heated run-in with former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping (read that here). During this incident, which occurred in Shanghai, China, Masvidal alleges that Bisping went off on him, blasting him with a profanity-laced tirade.

This week, on the latest episode of The MMA Hour, Masvidal once again recounted this story. Not long thereafter, Bisping shared his side of the encounter on his podcast Believe You Me.

Here’s what Bisping had to say about the run-in in Shanghai. Unsurprisingly, his version of the story differs quite a bit.

“Here’s what happened in Shanghai,” Bisping said (transcribed by Jed Meshew for MMA Fighting). “He’s always there, he’s always talking s**t. He’s a little a**hole, whatever. As I’m walking through the lobby, I see him and just give him the middle finger. I walk past and I go “f**k you” just as I’m walking by. I just lost a fight, I wasn’t in the best mood and that’s all it was. I wasn’t trying to get at anybody. I don’t go around trying to attack people in hotel lobbies.”

“You know where Jorge Masvidal resonates with me?” Bisping continued, explaining how insignificant the encounter was to him. “The other day I was biting my fingernails – you ever bite your fingernails and when you rip it off, you take a bit of skin with you? It’s annoying and it stings but it’s not really there, it’s only now and again. He’s about that level. That’s how much you resonate on my radar Jorge Masvidal. . . That’s what you’re like: you are an annoyance, you’re always there, but in a couple of days you’ll be gone.”

“I’m 39 years old with three kids, you think I’m interested in trying to fight with somebody that honestly I don’t even know. Do I care for him? No, I don’t. Do I respect him? Obviously not. He handles himself like a piece of s**t but I’m not interested in trying to fight Jorge Masvidal, whether it’s in the UFC, in a parking lot, whatever it is. Just move on with your life, focus on your UFC career – you’re dwindling UFC career. He’s lost fights at lightweight for crying out loud. I used to fight at light heavyweight, I’m a middleweight, I certainly don’t go looking for fights against lightweights. So get a grip, Jorge Masvidal.”

What do you make of the beef between Michael Bisping and Jorge Masvidal?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/9/2018.