Since 2013, former UFC middleweight champion and Hall-of-Famer Michael Bisping had been dealing with a nasty eye injury. Over the years, “The Count” repeatedly attributed the said injury to his Vitor Belfort fight earlier that year.
Unfortunately for Bisping, that eye problem led to missed opportunities at the time. He did, however, bounce back big and even became the undisputed 185-pound champion in 2016.
Around 2017, Bisping’s eye had just gotten worse. That same year, he was slated to defend the title for the second time against the returning Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217. Knowing the condition of his eye, Bisping knew it would be a challenge to get the green light from doctors.