“No, I’m not going to retire. Not going anywhere. I’m focused on the UFC. It’s the biggest stage.”

“Obviously, Frank Mir can strike, but I wouldn’t say he’s at my level. Everyone in the UFC is well-rounded. I just want to play my game. Whether it’s the first round or the last round, just stay sharp. He’ll try to submit me. Overall he has submissions, he’ll try to work that, and I’ll try to do what I do.”

“We spent some time in Russia in November. We did some appearances and interviews together. We had some dinner. We shared a cab. We hung out. I actually did like him. He seems like an intelligent guy. That doesn’t go for all my opponents. Some of them I can’t stand.”

In this recent interview from Bleacher Report’s Scott Harris, Alistair admits to actually liking Frank Mir and he also back-peddles off his prior comments on retirement.

‘The Reem’ returns this weekend against Frank Mir at UFC 169 in a matchup that both men need to win.