I am yet to receive a personal apology from Dan Miragliotta. It seems he’s apologising to everyone, except me.

I accept his public apology, but I don’t understand why he’s tried to justify his actions. His case seems to be he was wrong, but I was wrong too. This is quickly turning into a he said, she said situation, but I did not swear at him. That didn’t happen. I told him to stop talking to me, but I never told him to f*** off. If he misheard me, then fair enough. But he showed a massive lack of professionalism in the cage.



When Richard Kiely stuck his middle finger up at me, I hadn’t done anything, but he felt the need to give us both a verbal warning. When I was taunting Richard, as I’ve done to all my opponents in my career, he picked me up from a fight-winning position to dock a point. That’s unfair.

MVP clashed with the referee in his last fight (Picture: Bellator)

I never deserved a verbal warning in the first place. It all felt pre-mediated to me, like he’s got some sort of personal issue with me.


After the warning he told me I wouldn’t get away with behaving like that with him. I feel he’s gone in there wanting to pull me up on my style. He may not like the way I fight, but that shouldn’t affect how he referees me.

John McCarthy said after the fight he has never had to step in like that, ever. McCarthy is one of the best referees MMA has ever had and he didn’t agree with the calls Dan Miragliotta made. I would like a personal apology, but I’ll be happy if he never referees me again.

Miragliotta admitted he lost his temper with MVP (Picture: Getty)

I don’t agree what I did was ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’. This is MMA. We’re punching each other in the face. We can do and say anything we like to promote a fight, but once we’re in the cage, suddenly it’s like we’re in school? That, for me, doesn’t make any sense.

I get kicking someone in the nuts is ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’, but I can talk to my opponent, if I want. I can taunt him, if I like. It’s all part of fighting. I’m getting in his head. We’re not even miced up, no one can hear what we say to each other.

My fanbase is built on the style I bring. Now I’m not allowed to fight like that? You can’t encourage pre-fight antics and then turn around and police us like kids in the cage.

MVP is not going to change how he fights (Picture: Bellator)

If they’re going to tell me I can’t be myself in the cage, then I won’t fight. I won’t repress myself for anyone. I’ll only fight for an organisation who is happy for me to be myself when I fight for them. It’s that or retirement.



Bellator has always let me be myself and I don’t want that to change. You can’t dictate personalities. This sport is built on personalities.

All that said, I will 100 per cent be on the London card in November. It’s all sorted, I’m just waiting on an opponent. It won’t be Douglas Lima, obviously, but everyone knows I’m itching for that rematch. I have so much respect for Douglas, but I know I can overturn that result.

Chisora is without an opponent for his next fight (Picture: Getty)

Derek Chisora and I are good mates and if I was him I would take myself off that October card now that Joseph Parker has pulled out. Derek shouldn’t be concerning himself with the likes of Otto Wallin, Shannon Briggs or Michael Hunter.

Parker is a big fight and I think Derek should wait for him to recover. He had an issue with Eddie Hearn anyway about being co-main behind Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis. Parker is the best fight out there for Derek at the moment and if he beats him he can pick his next opponent.

MORE: When do tickets for Bellator London go on sale? Fight card for November return

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