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Li Jingliang had a rough week at UFC 279, due to no fault of his own. Jingliang was unable to show off his suit due to a backstage brawl that led to the cancelation of the UFC 279 press conference. He then had his co-main event fight against Tony Ferguson canceled due to a reshuffling of the card after Khamzat Chimaev missed weight.
He would end up fighting Daniel Rodriguez, who weighed in ten pounds heavier, and lose in a split decision that most did not agree with. Michael Bisping feels there is a silver lining to Jingliang's week.
Li Jingliang was set to take on Tony Ferguson, by far the biggest name he's ever been matched with. It was also set to be the co-main event of UFC 279. To make the card possible, he sacrificed that opportunity. Speaking on BT Sport, Michael Bisping discussed what UFC 279 could mean for Jingliang going forward.
"It wasn't at welterweight, but it was against a welterweight. I do hope the fact that it was a catchweight does come into play because I don't want to see him lose his ranking, but the reality is he lost the fight. Regardless of what we think, he lost the fight and it was a close fight. It wasn't a robbery. You could certainly make a case for D-Rod. It was close. I had Li Jingliang winning it."
Bisping continued to point out the silver lining for Jingliang, adding:
"I don't think his stock drops. Dana White even said in the post-fight press conference he thought that Li Jingliang won the fight, and ultimately, regardless of rankings, regardless of what websites say, regardless of what we say, it matters what Dana thinks."
Watch Michael Bisping's full comments on Li Jingliang below (starting at the 30:36 mark):
Michael Bisping believes Li Jingliang will be rewarded for being a team player
Despite a rough week where he was likely robbed in his matchup, Michael Bisping believes Li Jingliang will be rewarded by the UFC. In the same BT Sport special, 'The Count' said:
"Dana thinks he won the fight. He took a fight on short notice. He stepped up against D-Rod, went up to a different weight class. That is being a team player. That is being dependable. That is being somebody that you can count on on the UFC roster. When the s**t fans, are you going to step up and play ball? Can you be dependable for me, for the company? The answer was yes so we're going to see big fights. We're going to see him get a better contract down the line and he ain't going anywhere anytime soon."
With most welterweights yet to be booked, there are many options available for Jingliang's next fight. He also badly needs a win as he has lost two of his last three fights, so he could be inclined to take on a favorable stylistic matchup. Fights against Vicente Luque, Geoff Neal, Michael Chiesa and Stephen Thompson all make sense for the Chinese star, and it remains to be seen who he will be offered.
