Bisping has been open about considering retirement in the past, and continuing issues with his eyes were the catalyst in his final decision to take a step back from MMA, he revealed. He suffered a detached retina back in 2013, but following his recent bout against Kelvin Gastelum, he began having trouble with his “good eye.” It’s not another detached retina, but a vitreous detachment, “The Count” explained. Understandably concerned about his health, he decided to end his storied MMA career for good.
“It ain’t worth it. I mean, what else am I going to do? I’ve won the belt, I’ve had tons of wins, I’ve done everything that I set out to achieve,” Bisping said. “What’s the point in flogging a dead horse? Not that I’m a dead horse, but what’s the point? I’ve done everything I set out to achieve, and fortunately now I’ve used my platform to open other doors. You know, you’ve got to know when to walk away. I’m almost 40 years old, the time is now.”
The 39-year-old fighter is hanging up his gloves with a 30-9 MMA record, as well as various distinctions in the UFC’s history—he’s tied with Georges St-Pierre and Donald Cerrone for the most wins of any UFC fighter, tied with Jim Miller for most bouts of any UFC fighter, and has clocked the second-most total fight time in the UFC with 6:05:33.
“It’s great, it’s been better than I ever imagined. But yeah…time to move on,” he said.
With his MMA career out of the picture, it’s safe to assume he’s looking to shift to acting full-time. (Yet another great reason to keep his eyes healthy.) Bisping confirmed his plan to become a Hollywood action mainstay in an interview with TMZ Sports on Tuesday.
“I’m taking over Hollywood, so I gotta look good!” he told TMZ.
Bisping has been dabbling in acting for years now, and it’s undeniable that he’s perfect for the sort of gritty action films he’s been drawn to. He’s appeared in xXx: Return of Xander Cage alongside Vin Diesel, Den of Thieves with Gerard Butler and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and will presumably kick ass in the upcoming Triple Threat, starring Scott Adkins.
Check out the video below for his full announcement on Believe You Me.
