It was announced during UFC London that “The Count” would enter the Modern wing of the HOF, which also holds fighters such as Ronda Rousey, Urijah Faber, B.J. Penn, and Forrest Griffin. Bisping officially retired inside the octagon back in late 2018 due to an eye injury. The former middleweight champion spoke about the reasoning behind his decision on
mmaweekly , stating that he was happy with what he’s done in MMA and ultimately decided it was best that he walk away from the octagon:
“Obviously, I thought about (retirement) for a long time. I’ve had detached retinas and glaucoma and stuff, and then I started having pain and issues with my good eye, so this isn’t working anymore, I achieved everything I wanted to achieve. I’ve had a great career. I’m very proud of everything I’ve done. But you’ve got to know when to walk away and it just seemed like the time is right. I’ve won the belt; I’ve made a bit of money. What more is there left to do?"
Bisping started his professional MMA career in 2004 and rose through the ranks of the sport throughout various promotions. As previously mentioned, Bisping won the middleweight title back at UFC 199 in a stunning upset based on the fact that he received two weeks notice as a replacement. UFC President Dana White commented on Bisping’s placement in the HOF:
“It’s hard to have the level of talent needed to compete in UFC for any amount of time, but Michael Bisping was able to have an 11-year career where he became a world champion and won The Ultimate Fighter, not many people can say that,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “He also came back and coached The Ultimate Fighter and is now one of the best analysts on our broadcast team. Michael has been a huge part of not only building our brand, but also the sport of mixed martial arts. He absolutely deserves to be in the UFC Hall of Fame. Congratulations.”
While Bisping didn’t end his career the way he wanted to, the middleweight fighter gave fans an unforgettable run thanks to his natural charisma and memorable fights. Bisping ended his professional career with 30 wins and 9 losses.