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Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has closed the door on the cage, but he isn't going anywhere. Bisping recently announced his retirement from fighting, but plans to remain in the fight game as a commentator beginning with this summer's Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. After defeating Luke Rockhold for the middleweight strap in June of 2016, Bisping's retirement plan was comprised of defending the belt against Dan Henderson, Georges St-Pierre, and whomever was the No. 1 contender after the GSP bout. St-Pierre obviously made a mess of that plan, leading Bisping to take a different path into the sunset. After removing himself from the UFC drug testing pool, making his retirement official, Bisping is headed to the broadcast booth in addition to various other opportunities. He's long been an analyst for Fox Sports, but will move cageside this summer for the Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series, which he hopes will lead to a larger role with the UFC. "I'm ready to focus on other things, and I wouldn't have been able to if I didn't commit to retirement," Bisping told ESPN on Tuesday. "I want to commentate for the Contender Series, and then move on to calling UFC fights. That's the plan." TRENDING *ESPN Executive Expects UFC and Top Rank Boxing to Team Up on Saturday Nights With his experience as one of the most storied fighters in UFC history, as well as his time as an analyst, the transition shouldn't be a difficult one for Bisping, as the UFC transitions away from Fox to move onto ESPN's broadcasting platforms.