Speculation as to who the next coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 14 led many to believe a possible matchup between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping was only a few steps away.
Unfortunately though, Sonnen has had his license suspended indefinitely and now his future in MMA seems very much in jeopardy.
“I’m disappointed. I’ve been sitting on the sidelines for a while now and I think pretty much everybody can work out that I was hoping to fight Chael Sonnen, and we were waiting to hear if he was going to clear up his personal problems,” Bisping said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “Obviously today we found out that he’s been indefinitely suspended.
“It’s a shame for the guy. I really do feel for him. We’re all human beings; we all make mistakes. He’s being punished, and okay, he’s made some very, very bad decisions lately, but no one’s perfect—I’m certainly not perfect—and I feel for the guy.”
Yesterday, Sonnen said that if his appeal was successful that he and Bisping would be coaches on TUF 14.
“I knew there was a little red tape to go through and today we have the combination of all that. It’s a shame for Chael Sonnen, it’s a shame for the fans, and all in all, a bad turn of events,” said Bisping. “And for me as well, it was a big opportunity. You know, Chael Sonnen, a fight with him would have been a big deal for me and a No. 1 contender fight, so obviously, I’m disappointed as well, but yeah, I’m not sure what is going to happen now.”
Even without Sonnen as the coach opposite to him on TUF 14, Bisping still remains very interested in coaching the next season thats suppose to start filming sometime in the near future.
“Yeah, absolutely. The Ultimate Fighter did fantastic things for me as a fighter and my career. If it weren’t for The Ultimate Fighter, it’s possible we might not be having this conversation now. So, I’m very grateful for my time on The Ultimate Fighter as a contestant and as a coach,” Bisping said.
“So if the UFC were graceful enough to give me another shot on the show, then who am I to turn it down? The UFC have been the best employees a man can ever wish for. If that’s what they want me to do, then I’m their man.”
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