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Michael Bisping Backtracks on Retirement

Michael Bisping on the Cusp of Retiring or Headlining UFC London

With less than a month to go until he steps into the Octagon with Georges St-Pierre, Michael Bisping is backtracking on his recent comments that he might retire following the fight.

Welcoming St-Pierre back to the UFC following a four-year hiatus is the biggest fight of Bisping's life, and that's saying a lot. The 38-year-old Brit has spent the majority of his 13-plus year career in the UFC. He has amassed a 30-7 record, defeating the likes of Dan Henderson, Anderson Silva, Luke Rockhold, and many others.

St-Pierre would, however, be the brightest feather in his cap.

“It’s an iconic arena; it’s a big fight. It’s Georges St-Pierre. Everybody knows who Georges St-Pierre is. There’s not many people who have crossed over from the MMA fanbase into the mainstream, and Georges, I’d say he’s there. Maybe not as much as, say, a Conor (McGregor) or a Ronda (Rousey), but he’s not far behind, so it’s a big fight,” Bisping said during a September edition of The MMA Hour.

“And yeah, I think the career I’ve had, the years I’ve been in the UFC, the injuries I’ve had, the ups and downs, getting close to title fights and all of this, there’s a possibility this might be my last ever fight. I don’t know if I’ll fight again after this. What a way to go out if it is.”

That was far from definitive, but it's a notion that Bisping repeated several times after that interview.

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As the months give way to weeks and the weeks give way to days, Bisping has started to backtrack on the idea of retiring. He and St-Pierre are slated to headline UFC 217 on Nov. 4 in New York.

“Listen, a lot of people were asking me about (retirement),” Bisping said at Friday's UFC 217 press conference in Toronto. “I love this too much. I love this whole process, getting ready for a training camp. Eight weeks ago, I was out of shape. Now I feel like I’m the champion of the world. I can beat anyone on this planet, especially this guy. I love that whole process. So, no, I won’t be retiring.”

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