Former UFC fighter Michael Bisping was caught on a hot mic making a homophobic remark at UFC 298.
While working for ESPN as an analyst, Bisping was discussing the events of the night and said, “What a guy,” in reference to one of the fighters of the night.
Bisping finished his segment but the camera didn’t cut away immediately, and the hot mic caught the 44-year-old criticizing his own comments.
“What a guy?’ That’s ‘f–king gay,” Bisping said. “Bye bye.”
Michael Bisping (r) was caught on a hot mic at UFC 298 making a homophobic comment. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Bisping tweeted multiple times Sunday but didn’t address the comments he made Saturday night.
This isn’t the first time Bisping’s been embroiled in a controversy for making homophobic remarks.
In 2016, he called opponent Luke Rockhold an anti-gay slur after a win at UFC 199.
“Go f–k yourself … f–king c–ksucker,” Bisping said before adding: “F—-t.”
Realizing his mistake, Bisping said, “S–t, I shouldn’t have said that,” before telling the media to “delete that comment.”
Bisping had also used the same homophobic slur while exchanging words with opponent Jorge Rivera in the lead-up to UFC 127, calling him a “f—-t motherf–ker,” as captured on UFC’s promotional video.
Bisping retired in 2018 after a fight with Kelvin Gastelum Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Bisping retired from MMA competition in May 2018.
He said on the “The Joe Rogan Experience” that his decision stemmed from an eye injury he suffered in a fight with Kelvin Gastelum in November 2017.
Bisping lost that fight, getting knocked out in the first round.
Bisping won the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2016, when he defeated Dan Henderson at UFC 204 by unanimous decision.
That fight was the pair’s second bout, the first coming in 2009 at UFC 100 when Henderson won via a second-round knockout.
Bisping was defending his middleweight championship from UFC 199, when he defeated Rockhold.