Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has announced that he is retiring from mixed martial arts.
Speaking on his "Believe You Me" podcast, Bisping, who suffered a detached retina in 2003, attributed his retirement to worsening eye issues.
"You can't do it forever, done it for a long time," Bisping said. "Of course, I've got issues with my eye. After the [Kelvin] Gastelum fight, then I started having issues with my good eye."
The British Bisping said he had considered one last fight, possibly against Rashad Evans in London.
"That never happened -- probably a good thing," he said.
The 39-year-old last fought in November, when he lost his middleweight title to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 and then lost to Gastelum at UFC Fight Night on Nov. 25.
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3, Bisping made his UFC debut in 2006 and became the first (and still only) British champion in the promotion's history when he beat Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 on June 4, 2016. After one successful defense, he lost the belt to St-Pierre in his UFC 217 defeat.
Nicknamed "The Count," Bisping has tallied impressive numbers over his 14-year MMA career. He has compiled a 30-9 overall record and a 20-9 mark in his 11 years with the UFC. His 29 fights are the most in UFC history, and his 20 wins tie him with St-Pierre and Donald Cerrone for the most in the promotion's history.
"It ain't worth it," Bisping said of continuing in the Octagon. "What else am I going to do? I won the belt. I've had tons of wins. I've done everything I set out to achieve."
