Michael Bisping Planning To Retire This March
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping faces Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC Fight Night Shanghai.
Win or lose against Gastelum, the former middleweight champion plans on calling it a career when the UFC returns to London this March.
“God bless Shanghai, I’m sure the people are very nice, but no (to having his last fight in China),” Bisping said on The MMA Hour. “Again, I have nothing against China, 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.”
Bisping had previously hinted at retirement at UFC 217, but changed his mind in the weeks leading up to the fight.
Despite the craziness surrounding his life, the former middleweight champion does admit that he is at peace with everything.
“I’m at peace right now, I’ve been at peace for a long time. Contrary to what GSP said, I’m not an angry man. I’m a very happy man,” Bisping said. “It’s time to move on and do something else with my life and I’m not done yet. That’s why I want to fight Kelvin because I know I can do better than last week. I’m taking this fight just (because) you’re only as good as your last fight, and last week’s fight didn’t go according to plan. I feel good, I’m in good shape, I’ve got no injuries, so why not? I was planning on my last fight being in March. This one came out of the blue so I guess I’m going to do one extra. That wasn’t the plan, but circumstances have put me in this situation.”
UFC Fight Night Shanghai takes place on Saturday, November 25 from the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China with Michael Bisping and Kelvin Gastelum headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which streams live on UFC Fight Pass.
