Michael Bisping isn’t keen on stepping back inside the Octagon.
Bisping last competed at UFC Shanghai back in November. It was his second fight that month. He lost his UFC middleweight title to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 via submission. He was then knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum in the first round.
While “The Count” doesn’t regret his decision, the bout with Gastelum may have been his last. Bisping has been contemplating whether or not he wants at least one more bout or call it a career. It looks like he’s made his decision, leaving the door open just a crack.
He had the following to say on a recent edition of his “Believe You Me” podcast (via NYTT):
“I’m retired unless such a good offer comes through, I’m retired, I am. I just haven’t made it official. I have no intention of fighting, let’s be honest. I’m retired. I haven’t made it official yet but I’m probably retired. Now of course when I say probably, that still gives me a window to come back but I’m probably retired.”
Bisping earned a UFC contract when he won season three of “The Ultimate Fighter” light heavyweight tournament. His fighting career got off to a hot start with a 14-0 record. His first loss was against Rashad Evans, who was also undefeated at the time and would go on to become the UFC light heavyweight champion.
If Bisping does walk away from the sport now, he’ll be looking back on a Hall of Fame career. “The Count” is considered to be a pioneer for English mixed martial artists. He has a professional record of 30-9 and is a former UFC champion. He’s beaten the likes of Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Luke Rockhold, and Cung Le just to name a few.
Should Michael Bisping walk away from active competition?
