Michael Bisping targets future MMA coaching career, wants to 'pass on knowledge'

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Michael Bisping intends to continue entrenching his roots into the MMA world by becoming a coach to young fighters.

Bisping, a former UFC middleweight champion and UFC Hall of Fame inductee, has experienced about everything one possibly could during his storied fighting career, which ended following his final bout in November 2017.

He’s kept close to the sport since retirement, too, transitioning into an analyst and commentator for the UFC, hosting his own podcast and more. He still hasn’t checked all the boxes in his combat sports journey, though, and one that remains incomplete is to serve as a coach.

That’s a priority for Bisping, he said, but only that can only be done at the appropriate time.

“I do want to coach some fighters when I’m older, and I will do that,” Bisping told MMA Junkie. “But right now it wouldn’t be fair of me to do that. Coaching is a selfless job, and if I was to coach anyone – and I will when I’m older, hopefully I’ve stopped the rat race if you will to get ahead in life and stacking some chips and whatnot – I will take some time and find myself a protege or two and take them under my wing and try to pass on knowledge.

From starting off his career 16-0, winning “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, headlining more than a dozen UFC shows around the world, suffering devastating high-profile losses, climbing back to the top to secure UFC gold, and enduring more than a handful of injuries – few know the game better than Bisping.

He doesn’t want all that to go to waste, he said. But if he’s going to pay it forward to the next generation, he wants to do it in full.

Bisping knows what it’s like to be in the fighter’s shoes, and he’s aware of everything that an athlete requires out of a coach. He’s not at the right stage in his life to provide that essential investment of his time and focus, but said he’s certain the day will come where it’s the right fit.

“Believe it or not I’m not that stupid,” Bisping said. “I’ve learnt some things about this sport over the years and I would like to pass that down. But right now I’m still doing me. I’m trying to achieve things that I want to do in life, and it wouldn’t be fair to do that to the fighter or fighters in question for me to do that.

“You’ve got to be there every day, you’ve got to be helping them along the way. You’ve got to be someone’s call if they need a shoulder to cry on, talk about their problems, you’ve got to corner them. There’s a lot that goes into being a coach, and right now I just don’t have the time.”