"People still don't give him the credit that he's due. But I do!" - Arch-rival Michael Bisping gives a glowing tribute to retiring Luke Rockhold after UFC 278 war
Michael Bisping recently poured his heart out in a heartfelt homage to longtime rival Luke Rockhold. Following his defeat at UFC 278, Rockhold gave an emotional post-fight interview that touched everyone's hearts.
Bisping stated that he could grasp the emotions pouring through Rockhold's mind when he announced his retirement. 'The Count' said that it's a visceral feeling to watch a fellow fighter go through a war and put one's heart and soul into it.
"I gave it my all ... I'm f---ing old."
Luke Rockhold was full of emotions as he announced his retirement after #UFC278 https://t.co/QsJvGcH2sB
The former middleweight champion gave a glowing tribute to his rival through a video that he posted on his YouTube channel:
''Luke, whatever you're gonna do, enjoy. You've had a fantastic career. I think people still don't give him the credit that was due. But still, I do.''
Bisping and Rockhold have been at loggerheads in the past, having faced each other twice.
In their first encounter at UFC Fight Night back in November 2014, Luke Rockhold got the better of the Brit with a submission victory. Two years later, Bisping faced Rockhold for the middleweight championship at UFC 199 and won the fight by knockout. They buried the hatchet after Bisping retired and now share a mutual respect for one another.
Watch the video below:
Daniel Cormier commends Luke Rockhold on an illustrious career as the last of the four kings retire
The American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose is home to the Four Kings - arguably one of the greatest teams of all time in MMA. Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, Luke Rockhold, and Khabib Nurmagomedov have played their roles in elevating the sport and delivering some of the most memorable moments in the octagon.
While they all had UFC titles at some point in their careers, all of them have now retired, with Luke Rockhold being the last.
The former middleweight champion delivered an edge-of-the-seat fight against Paulo Costa at UFC 278. He called an end to an illustrious MMA career in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, which was met with a thunderous reception by the 17,500 fans in attendance.
Cormier paid an emotional tribute to his friend and teammate in a video that he posted in the aftermath of UFC 278:
“My boy fought the final fight of his career and you know? I can’t say I’m not disappointed. Skill-wise, he looked like he still has a ton left but his cardio, his body posture, the way that he looked in there tells me that it’s about time for my boy to walk away. So I ran over and I gave him a big hug.”