Michael Bisping has always managed to rub some people the wrong way but this past year the former UFC middleweight champion seemed to stir up trouble with more fighters than ever, including an unlikely foe, former lightweight and current welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal.

Over the course of the year, Masvidal and Bisping got into several heated altercations at UFC events, stemming from Bisping tearing up the Cuban flag, and Masvidal seems to be angling to be the guy to face Bisping in the future Hall of Famer’s retirement fight next year. Masvidal took to Instagram to call out Bisping, posting a screenshot of direct messages between himself and Bisping on Twitter, showing Bisping being uninterested in “beef” between the two.

Masvidal seemed to take these messages as a victory for himself, but this week, Bisping went on his Believe You Me podcast to refute that idea, calling the entire thing “juvenile” and saying that he wasn’t interested in an internet beef.

“He was messaging me a ton of abuse so I gave him a bit of sh*t back and then at the end I just said, ‘Listen, I’m not interested in this. This is ridiculous.’ I can’t remember how I worded it but I said, ‘This is a two-way street, you started this, I’m not interested in this anymore. I’m not going back and forth, if you want to keep it up, you’re on your own.’

“Obviously, when you were reading that, the whole thing sounds very, very juvenile. He sent one, I responded. He sent something back, then I responded. Then he carried it on and I’m like, listen, I can’t do this. I’m not acting like a teenager sending insulting messages back and forth over bloody Instagram. I’m almost 40 years old! So that’s why I said if you want to keep this up, you’re on your own. I’m not interested, you’re nothing to me, and that was that. And then the little prick takes a screenshot and posts it on Instagram.”

Masvidal first took umbrage with Bisping after he tore up the Cuban flag while sitting cageside for Romero’s interim title fight with Robert Whittaker at UFC 213. Masvidal, whose father is Cuban, was not happy about the incident and began taking shots at the then-middleweight champion, calling him, among other things, “the No. 1 ho I’ve gotta slap.” The Instagram post was just the latest in what has become a contentious feud but, unfortunately for Masvidal, doesn’t seem to have done anything to Bisping to make him want to fight “Gamebred” for his final bout in the Octagon. In fact, Bisping feels justified in his actions and believes the “little b*tch” just played himself.

“I’m not sure what he was trying to achieve,” said Bisping. “I think, if anything, it just makes him look like a fool. It makes him look like a moron to be honest, and I’m glad that I actually was the more responsible of the two. What a little b*tch.

“I think he thinks in his mind that because I ‘backed down,’ - basically, acted like an adult and said, ‘Listen, f*ck this, I’m done, I don’t need to do this - he thinks that that was me cowering to him and shying away from confrontation and being, as he would say, a little b*tch. No. It’s me being a grown-ass man, nearly 40 years old, and not arguing with some piece of trash from Florida. I’m not doing it. You’re on your own bud.”

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MUST-READ STORIES

Off. Jimmie Rivera is no longer scheduled to fight at UFC 219 on Saturday.

Tooth. John Lineker to have tooth surgery following withdrawal from UFC 219.

No Time. The State set an arraignment for felony case against Volkan Oezdemir.

Legacy. At UFC 217, Georges St-Pierre aimed to overcome the biggest criticisms of his legacy.

Knew. Valentina Shevchenko says she knew Rose Namajunas would beat Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

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VIDEO STEW

Embedded.

Jack Slack talking about the fall of Ronda Rousey.

Cody Garbrandt tells a story about almost fighting JCVD.

Taisumov calling out Cerrone.

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LISTEN UP

JRE MMA Show. Rogan is joined by Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen to discuss some MMA and a lot of other things.

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Dodson not happy that Rivera is off 219.

Other people stepping up.

James Vick extremely upset about this it seems.

Lot of people gonna like this sentiment from Till.

No idea about the weight but Khabib is looking fit.

Cruz is back in the booth.

Sage words.

Damien Brown knows.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Donald Cerrone (32-10, 1 NC) vs. Yancy Medeiros (15-4, 1 NC); UFC Austin, Feb. 18.

Tonya Evinger (19-6) vs. Marion Reneau (8-3-1); UFC Austin, Feb. 18.

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TODAY IN MMA HISTORY

2008: Rashad Evans became the UFC light heavyweight champion when he knocked out Forrest Griffin at UFC 92. In the co-main event that evening, Frank Mir became the first man to stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, knocking him out to win the interim heavyweight title. Also that night, Quinton Jackson avenged his two losses to Wanderlei Silva, knocking him out in the first round.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Take it easy and see y’all tomorrow.

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EXIT POLL

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