The post-fight scene in the octagon at UFC 213 turned from heartwarming to hokey in an instant.
Robert Whittaker had barely finished describing how he persevered past a hyperextended left knee to beat Yoel Romero by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) and win the interim middleweight title when Michael Bisping intervened. Bisping, the lineal middleweight champion, had cozied up to the cage for the entire fight and lurked afterwards, clearly plotting to confront the winner for a cheap promotional tactic.
He succeeded, commandeering the microphone to tell Whittaker he should, “be ashamed,” of wearing what amounts to a secondary belt.