Bisping: Overeem has grounds for appeal after unusual stoppage

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping thinks Alistair Overeem would have a solid case if he decides to appeal his fifth-round knockout loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

"The record stands, Rozenstruik won that fight," Bisping said on his "Believe You Me" podcast on Monday. "What I'm saying is that if I was Overeem, he's got grounds to be a little pissed off, a little bit annoyed ... He’s certainly got a potential grounds there for a real appeal."

Overeem met Rozenstruik in the UFC D.C. main event last weekend and was winning by a wide margin until Rozenstruik landed two punches that put Overeem down with four seconds left in the contest.

Though "The Demolition Man" was visibly hurt, he did get back to his feet as referee Dan Miragliotta waved the fight off. Bisping thought Miragliotta should have given Overeem more of a chance and let the fight go on considering how close it was to being over.

"(Overeem) wasn't knocked out. He was not out," he said.

Bisping added: "Rozenstruik hits him, puts him down, smashes his lip wide open, and then thinks it’s a walk-off knockout, turns around and just walks away. But Overeem gets up and then walks in the opposite direction - walks away from Rozenstruik. But even still, he’s still on his feet, he wasn’t knocked out. And then Miragliotta waves the fight off. It was very unusual."

Bisping retired from the sport last year and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He now serves as a color commentator for the promotion.