Bubba the Love Sponge Saddened He Never Got to Say 'Sorry' to Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan's former close friend Bubba the Love Sponge is mourning the death of the beloved wrestling star ... saying he has some regrets about their rocky history.

Bubba tells TMZ ... "I’m heartbroken to hear of Terry’s passing. As everyone knows we had our issues and those issues were mostly my fault. I loved him as a friend while he was with us, and will continue to love his memory as a friend going forward."

The famous radio DJ goes on to say, "I’m saddened that I will never be able to tell him how sorry I am for the way I handled things that created the rift between us. I miss my friend and hope he rests in peace."

You'll recall, Bubba was at the center of Hogan's 2012 sex tape scandal after his then-wife, Heather Clem, appeared in a sex tape with the Hulkster. While there was some kind of agreement between Bubba and Heather about allowing her to sleep with other men -- as long as it was recorded -- Hogan later sued both of them after the footage leaked.

Bubba and Hulk ended up settling for just $5,000 and an on-air apology ... but their relationship was never the same, and it's clear Bubba is still remorseful about how it all unfolded.

Last month, Bubba said on his radio show that Hulk's health had taken a turn for the worse and family members were coming into town to say their goodbyes. TMZ learned any word that he was on his deathbed was just untrue, however.