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After winning his first fight inside the Octagon last night (Sun., Aug. 23, 2015), a technical knockout win over Sam Stout at UFC Fight Night 74 in Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, Frankie Perez dropped the bomb and retired from mixed martial arts (MMA).
While some — like former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz — applauded Frankie for going out on his own terms (and on a high note), others weren’t as kind with their remarks.
Chief among them was middleweight veteran Michael Bisping, who blasted Perez on the post-fight show for not having the “cojones” to compete in a sport that’s only for “real men.”
After catching some flack for his comments, “The Count” explained his position during his recent stop at The MMA Hour and said at the end of the day, he was simply misunderstood.
“100 percent they misunderstand me. Listen, I respect everybody that steps into the Octagon because it’s such a hard thing to do for a living. And the world is made up of many different types of people. Not everybody has what it takes to be a UFC fighter. That’s just a fact. If he doesn’t want to do that and he wants to pursue another career, then great for him and I really respect his choice to do so. Of course, that is his decision. My opinion, being a fighter and a competitor, for me, that’s the best living I can give my family. That’s the way it is. For me, I am willing to put myself through that for my family. This is my best opportunity. He got a $50,000 bonus last night on top of his wages. He probably got $70,000. I don’t know where else he is going to earn that kind of money in one night. It wasn’t an insult. I don’t necessarily agree, but good for him, I’m sure he has a great head on his shoulders and maybe he’s got an illustrious career in something else away from fighting. I wish I had that. And if he has it, God bless him and all the best. I certainly didn’t mean to be insulting. In my mind set, as a competitor, this is the best way I can provide for my family. And to be honest, not many people have this opportunity. He has that opportunity in front of him. He has a beautiful performance, knockout of the night bonus and he’s walking away. To me it just seemed a little weird. But good for him, God bless him.”
According to Frankie, it’s not about having “cojones,” it’s about not putting himself and his family through the rigors that come with a demanding fighting career.
Not even a $50,000 bonus check could convince Frankie otherwise and he’ll leave MMA with a record of 10-2 (1-1 UFC).
Bisping, meanwhile, has no plans on slowing down, as he’ll step right back into the Octagon to face Robert Whittaker at UFC 193 on Nov. 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia (details here).
A fight that will mark his 25th inside the eight-walled cage.
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