Michael Bisping goes against the idea of taking one more fight for his legacy and finally puts an end to his 14-year fighting career.
The former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping 39, has been talking retirement since suffering two losses in a row. Georges St-Pierre captures the middleweight title after submitting him at UFC 217. Then, three weeks later, Kelvin Gastelum brutally knocked Bisping out in the first round at UFC Shanghai.
Today the outspoken Brit officially announced his retirement on his Believe You Me Podcast, citing issue with his vision that led to contribute to hang up his gloves. (Via MMAFighting)
“So obviously I’ve teased this for a long time now, I might fight again, I might not. And unfortunately it’s not a fight that I’m announcing. I am going to announce my official retirement from mixed martial arts.”
“I realized there’s no flash going on; it’s just my eye, and every time I look left, it flashes. And it still does it now when it’s dark,” Bisping said. “It’s light now so I can’t see it. So I started freaking out, thinking oh my God, I don’t believe this, I’ve got a detached retina in my good eye. I have problems with my bad eye, it doesn’t look good, so obviously I was kind of freaking out.”
‘The Count’ amassed a 30-9 record in MMA and finished his career with the record for most victories in UFC history and the most fights in the history of the promotion. His most notable win, came when Bisping scores a shocking TKO win over Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 to capture the 185-pound title on just a week’s notice.
Bisping said doctors revealed he had a vitreous detachment in his left eye, that was a key factor in his retirement.
“I was watching this movie last night and I just thought, it ain’t worth it,” Bisping said. “It ain’t worth it. I mean, what else am I going to do? I’ve won the belt, I’ve had tons of wins, I’ve done everything that I set out to achieve. What’s the point in flogging a dead horse? Not that I’m a dead horse, but what’s the point? I’ve done everything that I set out to achieve, and fortunately now I’ve used my platform to open other doors.
“You know, you’ve got to know when to walk away. I’m almost 40 years old, the time is now. So, I want to say, first of all, thank you to my wife. Without her, it wouldn’t have happened. That’s a fact. She was incredible every single step of the way. My children. My dad. My dad was amazing. And of course everyone in the U.K. and around the world that supported me.
“So, yeah, there you go. Great career. That’s that. Thank you, everybody.”
Bisping debuted in the UFC as the winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 3 at light heavyweight. Then he moved down to the middleweight division and picked up the wins over the likes of Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson, among others.
Bisping’s manager Audie Attar released a statement via MMA Junkie congratulating Count on a great career:
“Congrats to Michael on a Hall of Fame career,” Attar said. “‘The Ultimate Fighter’ winner, two-time ‘Ultimate fighter’ coach, winningest fighter in UFC history and first British UFC Champion in history. I’ve been honored to work with Michael toward the championship years and have watched him fight through trials and tribulations as he was a perennial title contender, ultimately reaching the sport’s greatest achievement by winning a UFC championship.
“Through all that, he has achieved the one thing I’m most proud of – how hard he fought for his family’s future, risking his life on the line each time he stepped into the octagon. I am proud to call Michael a client, but more importantly a dear friend. Now it’s time for Michael to achieve greatness in the next phase of his professional career. The future looks bright, Mr. Bisping. Thank you for all that you’ve done for our sport!”
We wish Michael Bisping all the best wishes for his future endeavors.
