MICHAEL Bisping insists he is not finished with UFC despite losing his middleweight title to the returning Georges St-Pierre.
The 36-year-old Canadian, who reigned as the welterweight champion for almost six years, is widely considered one of the sport's greats and returned to steal the show at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden with a third-round submission of Clitheroe's Bisping.
In taking the East Lancashire fighter's belt, St-Pierre becomes only the fourth fighter in UFC history to become a champion in two weight divisions.
He bossed the bout from the start, with a barrage of early strikes that left Bisping with bruises under both eyes and secured takedowns in the opening two rounds.
A further takedown in the third round encouraged St-Pierre to go for the win and he secured it with a rear naked choke.
Bisping said: "I don’t need time off, I’m fine.
“I’ve got no injuries whatsoever, I’m not hurt at all. Tonight was his night. Maybe (I’ll fight) in March in London (at UFC Fight Night 127), that sounds nice. We’ll see.
"You have got to give it to Georges, he was the better man. It's a hell of a squeeze he's got there. I'm not done, I know I spoke about retirement but Georges was the better man, no excuses."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here