Michael Bisping has offered Errol Spence some words of wisdom after the WBC and IBF welterweight champion suffered a retinal tear that forced him out of a fight with Manny Pacquiao
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Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has offered Errol Spence some advice after he was forced to pull out of a fight with Manny Pacquiao earlier this week.
Spence suffered a retinal tear in his left eye which forced him out of a fight with Pacquiao on August 21. The eight division world champion Pacquiao will now fight Yordenis Ugas.
Bisping suffered a detached retina in his right eye when he was knocked out by Vitor Belfort in 2013.
The loss sparked controversy as Belfort was granted a special exemption to use testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for the fight. The Nevada State Athletic Commission would ban TRT the following year.
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Bisping's described the vision in his right eye as "non-existent" since the injury. He continued to fight for the UFC, winning and defending the middleweight title on one occasion before retiring from the sport in 2018.
'The Count' advised Spence to listen to his doctors and fully recover from his injury before returning to professional competition.
"He has to listen to the doctors 100 percent for a full recovery. I pushed too hard to soon and lost the vision completely," Bisping wrote on Twitter.
Spence released a statement on Twitter regarding his withdrawal from the fight: "I am very disappointed that I wont be able to fight Manny Pacquiao on August 21st. Unfortunately, the doctors found a small tear in my eye and said I need to get surgery ASAP.
"There is no way I can fight with my eye in that condition I would like to apologize to everyone and thank you all for the support, You know Ill be back soon, Ive came back from worse."
Ugas will step up on less than two weeks notice to face the future hall of famer Pacquiao. A former Olympic bronze medalist, Ugas won the WBA welterweight title when he defeated Abel Ramos by split decision last September.
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Pacquiao's longtime trainer Freddie Roach is confident the 42-year-old is still his best fighter to date.
"He is still the hardest worker I have ever trained and an eager student. He wants this one more than anything," Roach said.
"Manny isnt training this hard to say goodbye. Its to prove hes still here. Philippine politics might influence when Manny hangs up his gloves.
"Maybe this is Mannys last fight. But this summer, he has been training for his greatest victory, and for Manny, that is saying something. Its the stuff that greatness is made of."
Pacquiao is unbeaten since his loss to Jeff Horn in 2017. He became the oldest welterweight world champion in boxing history when he defeated Keith Thurman at the age of 40 in July 2019.
Originally posted here:
Michael Bisping's impassioned advice to Errol Spence as he pulls out of Manny Pacquiao fight - Mirror.co.uk
