Michael Bisping Reveals Possible Date For Retirement Fight
Michael Bisping lost in the main event of the UFC 217 PPV (pay-per-view) event on November 4th in New York at Madison Square Garden to former UFC welterweight champion and current middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre by submission. However, he is continuing with his pro-MMA career.
It’s well known by now that former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was pulled from his bout against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Fight Night 122 due to a potential U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) violation. Bisping will now fight Gastelum at the event.
Bisping is making a somewhat stunning turnaround by accepting this fight on November 25th, which will mark 3-weeks between bouts for a fighter who has talked about retiring sometime in the near future.
Bisping spoke with Ariel Helwani on a recent episode of the MMA Hour, and during the interview, he stated that he feels 100% fine physically after his recent fight. Despite the fact that he received a provisional suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission, he has since passed the necessary medical tests to be cleared to compete again.
Although he accepted his next fight quickly, he has started thinking about hanging up his gloves and ending his career again. Either way, he will at least have one more fight after UFC Fight Night 122 and would love to have his final fight take place at UFC London on March 17th (transcript via MMA Fighting).
“Again, I have nothing against China,” Bisping said, after Helwani posited that it didn’t make sense for the ‘Count’ to retire in Shanghai, “they are a lovely race of people. I have never been to China, why is my retirement fight going to be in China?
“There’s a fight card on in London. I would love to be on that. I would love to be a part of that to say thank you to the British people who supported me and have my last fight there. I definitely want my last fight to be in England. I’ve always wanted my last fight to be in England.”
If Bisping can come out of his fight with Gastelum unscathed that should leave him set for one last big fight.
