Bisping: Diaz rumors are bull$#!@ but …

Rumors recently surfaced that former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping was fighting Nich Diaz. On his latest Believe You Me podcast, ‘The Count’ said he’s probably retired, isn’t contracted to fight Diaz, but did express respectful interest, with a caveat.

No, I’m not fighting Nick Diaz at all, said Bisping, as transcribed byJed Meshew for MMA Fighting. It’s total bulls***. I haven’t spoken to the UFC about anything. They haven’t come to me. I’m probably retired, I just haven’t made it official.

It’s bulls***. I haven’t heard a single thing. The UFC haven’t reached out, management haven’t reached out, no one has said anything. As I said, I haven’t made my mind up completely but I’m very, very close to retirement.

I’m probably retired. I know I’m driving everyone crazy with this. Certainly, reporters ask me all the time but I don’t know. If something comes along, great but I need to make my mind up and make that official and move on with the rest of my life or get a fight. I was supposed to fight in London, it never happened. Book me a fight and let’s go. If not, f*** it, let’s move on.

Here’s the thing, Nick Diaz is one of the legends of the sport. The guy is one of the original, old-school fighters and what I like about Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz – they’re real fighters. They are real fighters and they come to fight every time. They’re always entertaining and they say a lot of controversial s*** but they’re real fighters. They’re not trying to pretend to be something. They don’t do MMA because they think it’s cool. They’re not jumping on the bandwagon. It’s who they are. They are f***ing fighters, they’ll throw down at a moment’s notice, in the Octagon or on the street. They are fighters, simple as that and that’s what I respect about them.

Nick Diaz is someone that I definitely respect and if there was a possibility of that fight, then for sure I would accept it. People would want to see that. The only issue is that if I do fight [again] I want it at 205 [pounds] and I don’t think Nick would do 205. Making 185 for the last 10 years has been so hard. Making 185 is not an easy task, not an easy task at all, so if I’m going to fight one more time, it’s gonna be at light heavyweight. Or I’d do a catchweight, maybe at 195 or whatever but making 185 for me is too hard. So if Nick would be willing to come up, I’ll do it. I’ll accept. I’m down. I’m in. Sign me up.

Nick Diaz, if you’re listening and you want to fight again, give me a shout, pal, because I’m down. If you’re willing eat some food and put some pounds on, then let’s do this my brother.”

USADA recently announced that Diaz will be suspended for a year retroactive to the date of his third whereabouts failure, meaning he can now fight whenever he wants to.