Luke Rockhold: If Michael Bisping Beats Me, ‘I’ll Be the (Expletive) Who Retires’
Luke Rockhold wants a trilogy fight with Michael Bisping so bad that he’s willing to put his career on the line for it.
Rockhold and Bisping have split a pair of bouts with a third fight always seeming like a possibility but lately it’s been a big topic of conversation for both fighters. As Rockhold looks to bounce back from a knockout loss to Yoel Romero, he would love nothing more than to settle the score against Bisping one last time and he’s willing to wager his future on a victory.
“I’ll put it on this — if Bisping beats me in this fight, I’ll be the motherf–ker who retires,” Rockhold said on Wednesday. “If Bisping beats me in this fight, this will be my retirement fight.”
Rockhold was responding to Bisping’s continued jabs at him as the British middleweight has shown interest in a trilogy but still hasn’t fully committed to the fight.
That’s why Rockhold is throwing out the challenge to see if Bisping is really willing to put his money where his mouth is after saying numerous times that he would earn a second straight knockout over him if they met again.
“I’d love to shut his mouth. If you’re going to run your mouth that much, if you’re a man, back it up,” Rockhold said. “We will soon see. He’s opened his mouth, he said a lot of things and now he’s been back tracking a bit. Put your money where your mouth is. You want to f–king run your mouth and say I was an easy fight, you say you can beat me up any time. Any f–king time. Step in the cage and prove it. Let’s finish it.”
As far as the timing of the fight, Rockhold would like to return for International Fight week to compete alongside his teammate Daniel Cormier, who is headlining UFC 226 on July 7 in a super fight against heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
He believes that’s the perfect date for a third fight with Bisping so they can finish this rivalry once and for all.
“This is your retirement fight, let’s go out on the biggest stage possible,” Rockhold said about Bisping. “That’s Las Vegas. That’s International Fight Week. Back it up. Put your money where your mouth is. Put your balls on the table cause I’m ready to go.”
Obviously, Rockhold isn’t looking to call it a career any time soon but if that’s what it takes to finally get Bisping to commit to the fight, that’s what he’ll do.
Now he’s just waiting on Bisping to respond so hopefully they can finally sign on the dotted line and get ready for a fight in July.
“There’s a lot of things I want to do but the motherf–ker ran his mouth. He opened the door. I’m not one to turn down opportunities. I back up everything I say and I put it on the line,” Rockhold said. “I’m going to back up what I say and let’s see if Bisping can back up what he says. I’m ready to go. The UFC is ready to go. The fans are ready to go. It all comes down to one boy.
“We’ll see if he’s a man or a boy. Men back up their words. Little boys run away.”
