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Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort don’t agree on much but one thing they can agree on is neither of them want to fight each other again.
Bisping has been looking for a retirement fight since losing the UFC middleweight title and earlier this week, the former champion revealed on his Believe You Me podcast that he was interested in fighting on the upcoming UFC Liverpool card, though he wasn’t particularly keen on fighting Belfort if that were who the UFC would want him to face.
“I don’t wanna fight Vitor ‘Dad-bod’ Belfort who looks like - he should be embarrassed to have his shirt off; 100 percent,” Bisping said. “I’m not turning him down I’m just saying that’s not somebody I want to share an octagon with. I have zero respect for the guy.”
It wasn’t the first time Bisping has taken a shot at Belfort over the possibility of a rematch but it did seem to get a reaction out of the former light heavyweight champion, who responded by calling Bisping a “coward” and saying “The Count” was just making excuses over losing to him.
“He’s a coward,” Belfort told MMAJunkie recently. “That Englishman is a coward. I’d never seen a coward Englishman before. He took a blow, got stunned, and he has his lame excuses, you know. Leave him with his arrogance over there in England.”
This is far from the first time Belfort and Bisping have had a go at one another. Earlier this year Belfort was floated as a possible retirement opponent for Bisping, who was equally as disinterested in the fight back then, prompting Belfort to take a shot at Bisping on his Instagram account for “leaving the sport thru the backdoor.”
Belfort knocked out Bisping back in 2013, though the loss has always irked Bisping since Belfort was on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) at the time. Belfort had a medical use exemption for the treatment but Bisping has always maintained that the therapy — which has since been banned in MMA — provided an unfair advantage for Belfort.
All of this is moot though, as Belfort is currently preparing for his own retirement fight against Lyoto Machida just a few weeks before UFC Liverpool; unless, of course, the UFC wants to make him an offer. Though he says he’s intent on retiring after his fight with fellow “legend” Machida, Belfort does leave the door open for another fight or two if the money is right.
“It’s what I said: in reality, it will be my final fight and my journey is ending,” Belfort said. “But nothing that a good contract – what, seven digits? – can’t do in terms of helping us return. I’ll keep training. I love doing this. But there needs to be a meaning. There needs to be a purpose and it needs to be something that makes sense.”
With all their trash talk over the years, a rematch with Bisping could be just the fight to do that.
Belfort takes on Machida at UFC 224 on May 12 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
MUST-READ STORIES
Conor. Tony Ferguson says Georges St-Pierre is the ‘money fight’ that interests him most.
BOAT. Joanna Jedrzejczyk justifies immediate rematch: UFC knows I am ‘the best strawweight in the world.’
Rules. Despite no suspension, Josh Barnett won’t be able to fight in the UFC for six months.
Owning up. ONE Championship CEO issues apology to Bibiano Fernandes: ‘I screwed up.’
Big things. PFL partners with reality television guru Mark Burnett.
VIDEO STEW
The MMA Beat.
And After the Beat.
Tony’s media lunch.
Another Tony interview.
ONE put up another salvo of free fights. Here’s one and you can find the rest if you follow the video link.
A double dose of TTTHS.
An unseen Conor interview from 2013.
LISTEN UP
Heavy Hands. Discussing Joshua-Parker and some UFC 2223 undercard bouts.
Fights Gone By. Jack Slack previews UFC 223.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Should be a good one.
Heartbreaking.
To everyone I am sorry for how I am now. I have been battling this. I honestly don’t wish to hurt anyone. I left an important part of myself in the ring. Please forgive my behaviour. You know me and know my character. The most sad and hurtful thing am not the person I want to be
— Gary H Goodridge (@garyhgoodridge) March 27, 2018
The part of fighting not often seen and the opponent I’m most worried about facing. https://t.co/ZNjhCGrkqA
— Nathan Quarry (@NateRockQuarry) March 28, 2018
Something to look forward to.
I will have the greatest @Reebok shirt of all time coming out soon soon.
— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) March 29, 2018
Wow. So much Tommy in your life today.
"I punch bear traps for fun."
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) March 29, 2018
The great @TommyToeHold interviewed both @TeamKhabib and @TonyFergusonXT and let's just say things got spicy! pic.twitter.com/JZXDqmDloA
They both want this fight so bad.
I’m not sure Sage knows how this is supposed to work.
Who wants to play some pool pic.twitter.com/Vq6X866CpP
— Sage Northcutt (@sagenorthcutt) March 30, 2018
Math.
What compels you to do this to me? pic.twitter.com/885vwkhqvB
— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) March 29, 2018
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Darren Till (16-0-1) vs. Stephen Thompson (14-2-1); UFC Liverpool, May 27.
Arnold Allen (12-1) vs. Mads Burnell (9-2); UFC Liverpool, May 27.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Shout out to Marc Raimondi for taking care of the report for me yesterday. Not only is he the best reporter in MMA but he’s also an upstanding gentleman. Give him a follow on the Twitter machine if for some reason you aren’t already.
And that’s it for the week! Yet another weekend without a UFC event but that’s okay because next week is the big one. Khabib vs. Ferguson is arguably the best fight in MMA history so let’s hope we get there without issue this time.
Enjoy the weekend everyone and see y’all Monday.
EXIT POLL
Poll
Are you planning on watching the Joshua-Parker heavyweight boxing match this weekend?
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