Having previously toyed with the idea of of retirement, Michael Bisping insists he’s going nowhere… Yet.
The British UFC legend saw his middleweight title wrested away by the returning Georges St-Pierre in the main event of UFC 217 on Saturday night.
Bisping was choked unconscious by GSP in the third round of their grudge match and despite the brutal nature of his defeat, Bisping’s first since 2014, the Manchester-born 185lber refuses to hang up his gloves.
The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner has suggested that he wants to be involved in the freshly announced UFC event in London next year.
🇬🇧 Start spreading the news 🇬🇧
The UFC is returning to London in March 2018! 👊
Watch every UFC event live on BT Sport. pic.twitter.com/OQHhPgC8XW
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) November 2, 2017
UFC Fight Night 127 will take place on March 17, 2018 at London’s O2 Arena and, having never tasted defeat in Britain, Bisping is eager to feature on the card.
“I’m fine. I’ve got no injuries whatsoever,” Bisping said at the post-fight press conference. “Nothing hurt me. Maybe March in London. Yeah, that sounds nice.”
But as keen as he might be to play a part on the UFC’s return to UK shores, ‘The Count’ was not so sure that he’d immediately walk into a main event slot.
“I don’t know about headlining. I just got choked out,” he added.
Randy Couture, BJ Penn, Conor McGregor… Georges St-Pierre https://t.co/7CmpzMm5gF
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) November 5, 2017
Bisping will turn 39 next February and given the fact that he’s recently hinted at a desire to hang up his gloves in his native land, perhaps UFC London would represent a swansong for England’s greatest ever mixed martial artist.
“I’ll probably have one more,” Bisping said on his podcast, Believe You Me in June.
“And I want that to be in London or Manchester, in the UK. I want it to be in England.
“I want to have my last fight and say farewell to the fans who, in England, have treated me so well. They really have. The MMA fans out there really embraced me as one of their own and made the difference in my career so I want my last fight to be in England.
“Whether or not I win my next fight, which I plan on winning and believe I will, then I want to have one last fight in England, hopefully defending my belt for the third time and then I’ll probably call it a day.
“That isn’t set in stone but, in my mind, that’s where my head’s at.”
