Michael Bisping undergoes eye surgery to fix detached retina, next fight delayed until at least October

When Michael Bisping scored a rare technical decision win over Alan Belcher at UFC 159, which took place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., April 27, 2013, many mixed martial arts (MMA) fans, as well as "The Talent" feared the worse.

That's because the Middleweight showdown ended early in the third round after Bisping delivered an accidental eye poke that floored Belcher, who had previously underwent surgery to repair a career-threatening detached retina in 2010.

Belcher ended up being fine, receiving eight stitches to close a gash on his eye lid (see pic here). Bisping, however, appears to have somehow sustained a more significant eye injury.

Ariel Helwani delivered the bad news on the latest edition (June 4, 2013) of "UFC Tonight" on FUEL TV:

"After the fight against Alan Belcher, Michael Bisping completely lost all peripheral vision in his right eye. He went to see an eye on doctor on Tuesday and he found out that he had a detached retina. On Thursday, he had surgery to fix the detached retina. He’s hoping to return to the UFC in October."

Odd indeed.

The good news, at least for now, is that the procedure does not appear it will keep Bisping on the sidelines for an extended period of time. In addition, he might need the extra time off to fully recover from a separate planned "minor procedure" to correct a "nagging nerve issue in his vertebrae."

And he'll need all the rest he can get with just about every fighter in the 185-pound division calling him out, including Rich Franklin (more here), Luke Rockhold (more here), Constantinos Philippou (more here) and Cung Le (more here), among others.

Of all his current suitors, Bisping apparently appears most interested in Le, a former Strikeforce champion who competes sparingly thanks to a hectic Hollywood acting schedule. One that could magically open up right around the same time Bisping is fit enough to return to the Octagon in Fall 2013.

No problem here.

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