UFC legend Michael Bisping gives the reason he turned down fight with Jake Paul

UFC legend Michael Bisping was offered a fight with Jake Paul towards the end of last year, but chose to stay retired despite a lucrative sum being put on the table.

The former middleweight champion, who defeated the likes of Anderson Silva, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson in his glittering career, shares a manager with Conor McGregor.

And when discussions were quickly brushed off for a McGregor-Paul match, it was floated that the Manchester native could face the YouTube star on a Triller Fight Club event.

Ultimately, Bisping decided to stick with his retirement, and Ben Askren ended up answering the call for the promotion's debut outing.

Speaking on Talksport show 'Fight Night', Bisping discussed the offer, and why he didn't entertain the notion, saying: “Jake Paul’s team did make me an offer which I didn’t suitably entertain.

"I’m not interested in coming out of retirement; obviously I’ve got so many injuries – but I did have a bit of a laugh with it.”

Bisping, who shocked the world to become champion at UFC 199 in 2016, lost a large amount of his vision to mixed martial arts, and won't be stepping back into a cage or ring any time soon.

But he won't begrudge fighters that choose to, understanding that most other athletes will retire without the supports that he has put in place such as a film career and multiple broadcasting jobs.

He continued: "I’m all for fighters being able to make money after they are done, because it is such a tough road and I’ve been very lucky, I’m not trying to brag, I’m just saying I have been lucky.

“I commentate for the UFC, I do my podcast and I’ve got things going on [such as movie projects]. But that isn’t the norm because for most fighters, when they retire, they step away and it is hard reality.

"They’re no longer the centre of attention, they don’t walk out to 20,000 people, people aren’t asking for autographs and the money dries up pretty quickly.

“They are kind of on the scrap heap and what happens is some people turn to alcohol, some people turn to drugs, you know they get very depressed.

“So I will never sit here and judge a fighter that decides to come out of retirement to get another pay day, because they need it.”

There are a number of fighters who have since called out Paul for his fourth pro fight including Bellator's Dillon Danis and UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

However, there have also been some slightly more concerning call outs, from celebrities to fighters like 51-year-old Chuck Liddell, who could risk serious harm should they get the call.

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