Michael Bisping
Eye issues threatened to end former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping’s fighting career on more than one occasion over the years.
It all began when ‘The Count’ suffered a detached retina in his right eye after being head kick KO’d by Vitor Belfort back in 2013.
It was a potential career-ending injury that impaired his vision, but Bisping wasn’t ready to call it quits yet and so he risked his sight by continuing to compete without seeking medical help.
He would go on to fight Alan Belcher, but then while preparing for his next fight with Mark Munoz his eye became so bad that he couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face and had to undergo surgery.
However, his retina re-detached later and during the follow-up surgery a portion of his retina had to be removed due to scar tissue.
Bisping would continue to have trouble with his vision, but remarkably was able to resume his fight career and even went on to win the 185lb belt, despite his permanently disfigured eye.
However, after being KO’d by Kelvin Gastelum in 2017, Bisping alarmingly started having trouble with his other eye as well.
Doctor’s diagnosed him with a vitreous detachment – a potential precursor to a detached retina, and after weighing up his options Bisping came to the conclusion that he couldn’t put his sight in both eyes at risk any longer and anounced his decision to retire.
