Lawyer of allegedly ‘assaulted’ teen responds to Bisping, says Dana White will also be held accountable

The name Antonio Georgakopolous meant nothing to fight fans, until last week, when he filed a lawsuit against Michael Bisping. The 19-year-old claimed that…

By: Milan Ordoñez | 6 years ago
Lawyer of allegedly ‘assaulted’ teen responds to Bisping, says Dana White will also be held accountable
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

The name Antonio Georgakopolous meant nothing to fight fans, until last week, when he filed a lawsuit against Michael Bisping. The 19-year-old claimed that he was assaulted by the UFC middleweight champion at a 24-hour fitness gym in Anaheim last July 31.

In the lawsuit, Georgakopolous alleged that Bisping “went crazy” at him for “taking his weights without asking.” This then resulted to the teenager being allegedly called a “little punk” and “idiot” before being “grabbed by the throat” and choked.

Bisping went on to respond to the allegations saying Goergakopolous’ claims were “total bollocks”, and questioned the timing of the lawsuit, and how “tactical” it was to be filed a week before UFC 217. UFC president Dana White also joined the fray by branding the teenager as a “typical f—-ng p—y.”

Georgakopolous’ camp issued their response through their legal counsel, Gavril T. Gabriel during a press conference on Thursday. Gabriel first went on to address Bisping’s comments.

“He’s quoted as saying this lawsuit is very tactical,” Gabriel said. “Well, the filing of this lawsuit is not tactical. My client hired me to adjudicate his rights and to ensure justice is served for the wrong that he suffered. Next, he’s not looking for publicity, this being my client. He wants to continue to live his life as a 19-year-old college student, and the last thing he wants is to be in front of a camera.”

“Next, the comment made by Mr. Bisping, and this is via MMAFighting.com, that this lawsuit is ‘total bullocks,’ it’s ‘completely infactual, there are many contradictions, and it’s just not correct,’” Gabriel continued. “If you take some time to read the complaint, you’ll understand that nothing in there is made up, nothing is not supported by witnesses. So I’d encourage everyone to read the complaint and make a decision for yourself.”

After which, Gabriel then addressed the comments made by Dana White.

“I don’t think Dana White has ever met my client,” Gabriel said. “If he did, he’d know those statements are completely false, and his sole purpose is to tarnish his image.

“Dana White will also be held accountable for his false statements, and not only for allowing Bisping to engage in the conduct that is outlined in the complaint, but encouraging this type of bullying behavior by Michael Bisping.”

Bisping’s title fight against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 is merely a day away and will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

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About the author
Milan Ordoñez
Milan Ordoñez

Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments.

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