Ben Askren has recently decided to call it a career, citing a hip replacement as the cause for his walking away, but UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping believes that this is not a career-ending procedure….unless someone wants it to be.
At UFC Singapore, Demian Maia handed Ben Askren his second consecutive loss. Following the defeat, Askren took some time to ponder his future in the sport before ultimately deciding to hang up his gloves due primarily to a pending hip replacement procedure. As someone who knows a thing or two about injuries and medical operations, Michael Bisping feels that there are certain procedures that are legitimately career-ending, but a hip replacement is not one of them:
“Anyone out there, you ask any doctor, they will tell you, hip replacement/knee replacement, not even in the same category…not even anywhere close in the same category as recovery, rehab, pain endured through said process,” Bisping said on his Believe You Me Podcast. “Any doctor will tell you. People are coming up to me going, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s right. I had a hip replacement,’ and I just want to go, ‘Ohhh, don’t talk to me about your hip replacement, OK? I had a knee replacement, knee replacement!
“Hip replacement is nothing. I scoff at a hip replacement. I laugh at a hip replacement. I have no sympathy. Quick operation. My mom recovered from one, no problem. My dad had one, doesn’t even mention it.”
Bisping went on to state that if a hip replacement is the reason why Askren is retiring, then it is probably for the best. After all, even Bisping’s elderly mother could get by following the procedure:
“It’s probably a good idea if he’s retiring because my mom has stronger hips than Ben Askren,” Bisping continued. “Simple as that. My old, frail, flailing mother has stronger hips, can sprawl better than Ben Askren.”
Michael Bisping went on to tip his hat to Askren for his career, the buzz he generated in the UFC, and the manner he conducted himself. He then wished Askren the best of luck. But ultimately, the Brit reiterated that it takes more than a hip replacement for an athlete to decide to retire and that, in the case of Ben Askren, there is more behind his decision:
“I’m a big fan of the guy. I’d like to still see him fight. I’m sure he could earn some money. But I think from a competitive standpoint, he came over and it wasn’t a good year. And he’s like, ‘You know what? I’m gonna move on,’” Bisping concluded.
What are your thoughts on Michael Bisping’s comments about Ben Askren’s retirement?
