10 Most Heartbreaking Retirement Fights in MMA History
Highlights
- Pat Miletich's return to the octagon in his 50s for a fight against Mike Jackson was hard to watch.
- Glover Teixeira retired in front of an empty arena after a dominant loss to Jamahal Hill.
- Anderson Silva's retirement fight against Uriah Hall ended with a knockout loss in an empty UFC Apex.
When it comes to the world of MMA, there's no such thing as a forced retirement. Unless athletic commissions step in or they can't pass a physical, fighters are able to compete. Due to that, many legends of the sport have been able to fight far longer than they had any right to.
These ten fighters might've retired at the right time, or maybe they retired two decades after their prime. That being said, regardless of their ages and the damage they've taken, these bouts were hard to watch. They also all ended with one of the combatants putting down the gloves for good.
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This Fight Should've Never Happened.
Pat Miletich | Mike Jackson |
|---|---|
5'10" | 6'2" |
174.6 Pounds | 176 Pounds |
29-7-2 (Pre-Fight Record) | 1-2 1 NC (Pre-Fight Record) |
The inaugural UFC welterweight champion unretired earlier this year, for a fight against former CM Punk-opponent Mike Jackson. The feud between former coach and trainee started following Pat Miletich's presence at the January 6th storming of the U.S. Capital.
'The Croatian Sensation' later lost commentary jobs due to the incident, which he blamed on Jackson. The 55-year-old then faced the 1-2 fighter, losing by second-round stoppage after retiring on the stool. Post-fight, he retired once again. To come out of retirement in your 50s for a trainwreck fight was hard to watch for fans.
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While he's making the news for his actions in AEW, there's a lot that fans should know about CM Punk's UFC run.9 Glover Teixeira (vs. Jamahal Hill)
This Brazilian Legend Retired In Front Of An Empty Arena
Glover Teixeira | Jamahal Hill |
|---|---|
6'2" | 6'4" |
205 Pounds | 204.5 Pounds |
33-8 (Pre-Fight Record) | 11-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
The UFC was scrambling to find a new light-heavyweight champion following Jiri Prochazka's injury in late 2022. After Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fought to a draw that December, the promotion booked Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill for January.
The Brazilian stated pre-fight that the bout could be his last, and it was. After getting dominated by 'Sweet Dreams', Teixeira gave an emotional post-fight speech. Sadly, his hometown arena was mostly empty, providing quite a sad image.
8 Anderson Silva (vs. Uriah Hall)
'The Spider' Deserved Much, Much Better.
Anderson Silva | Uriah Hall |
|---|---|
6'2" | 6'0" |
184 Pounds | 186 Pounds |
34-10 (Pre-Fight Record) | 15-9 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Anderson Silva is an absolute legend of the sport, but the second half of his career was so hard to watch. While he still competes in boxing today, his MMA retirement came in an empty UFC Apex on Halloween Night 2020.
'The Spider' was clearly still a sleek striker, as he was winning early exchanges against Uriah Hall. However, 'PrimeTime' scored a knockout win, and Silva laid down the gloves to the applause of nobody.
7 Anthony Johnson (vs. Daniel Cormier)
'Rumble' Suddenly Retired In Early 2017.
Anthony Johnson | Daniel Cormier |
|---|---|
6'2" | 5'11" |
203.8 Pounds | 205 Pounds |
22-5 (Pre-FIght Record) | 18-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson's final UFC fight in April 2017 was a sad moment that has only gotten worse with more time. That night at UFC 210, he suffered a second-round submission loss to Daniel Cormier, in another bid for light-heavyweight gold. Following the defeat, Johnson suddenly announced his retirement from MMA.
It was a great speech, apologizing for not giving fans the long-awaited fight with Jon Jones. However, Johnson retired alone in the cage, as his coaches prematurely left before his speech. Given his premature death in 2022, this moment hurts even more.
6 Chael Sonnen (vs. Lyoto Machida)
One Of The Greatest Villians In MMA Made Fans Cry in 2019.
Chael Sonnen | Lyoto Machida |
|---|---|
6'1" | 6'1" |
205.6 Pounds | 204.4 Pounds |
30-16-1 (Pre-Fight Record) | 25-8 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Chael Sonnen is one of the greatest heels in combat sports history. That being said, his retirement fight at Bellator 222 in 2019 was an emotional one. That night, fans saw 'The American Gangster' suffer a second-round knockout loss.
Post-fight, Sonnen gave an emotional speech, announcing his retirement. In the post-fight press conference, he seemingly gave up the character and discussed how painful it was that he never won a world championship in the sport. Famously, that was Sonnen's final wish for his father.
5 Brad Pickett (vs. Marlon Vera)
'One Punch' Had His Career Ended In A Similar Fashion To His Nickname
Brad Pickett | Marlon Vera |
|---|---|
5'6" | 5'8" |
139 Pounds | 140 Pounds |
26-13 (Pre-Fight Record) | 10-3-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Brad Pickett is kind of forgotten these days, but was one of the earliest beloved British fighters to make it to the UFC. By 2017 however, he was far past his best. He was supposed to face relative unknown Henry Briones, but instead faced Marlon Vera after the former withdrew.
Facing a young 'Chito', Pickett was winning on the scorecards heading into the final minutes. Sadly, the British fighter took a head kick in the final moments to get knocked out cold to prevent the upset.
4 Fedor Emelianenko (vs. Ryan Bader)
This Rematch Was Hard To Watch.
Fedor Emelianenko | Ryan Bader |
|---|---|
6'0" | 6'2" |
236.2 Pounds | 234.4 Pounds |
40-6 (Pre-Fight Record) | 30-7 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Fedor Emelinaneko turned back the clock with a first-round knockout win over Timothy Johnson last year. With the win, 'The Last Emperor' became the Bellator number-one contender, and targeted a rematch with Ryan Bader. Four years previous, 'Darth' won by first-round knockout.
In the rematch, Bader dominated the Russian, again winning by first-round stoppage. Post-fight, Emelianenko retired from MMA, supported by fellow legends of the sport from his era.
3 The Korean Zombie (vs. Max Holloway)
Chan Sung Jung Got An Incredible Sendoff.
The Korean Zombie | Max Holloway |
|---|---|
5'7" | 5'11" |
146 Pounds | 146 Pounds |
17-7 (Pre-Fight Record) | 24-7 (Pre-Fight Record) |
The Korean Zombie, also known as Chan Sung Jung, got an incredible sendoff earlier this year. Facing Max Holloway in Singapore, he was a massive underdog. While he had moments of success, 'Blessed' won by third-round knockout.
Following the loss, the normally stoic Zombie gave an emotional speech. While he wasn't past his prime or anything like that, seeing a legend go out like that was heartbreaking.
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The UFC Got What They Wanted Here.
Shogun Rua | Ihor Potieria |
|---|---|
6'1" | 6'3" |
205 Pounds | 205 |
27-13-1 (Pre-Fight Record) | 19-3 (Pre-Fight Record) |
The UFC has never given legends great, or even competitive retirement fights. That being said, booking Shogun Rua vs. Ihor Potieria at UFC 283 earlier this year is probably the worst example. The Ukrainian was 15 years younger than his opponent, was bigger, etc.
Unsurprisingly, Rua was viciously knocked out in round one. The UFC got what they wanted here, as the Brazilian was brutalized in his final fight. In the process, it helped build Potieria as well.
1 Daniel Cormier (vs. Stipe Miocic)
One Of The Heavyweight GOATs Retired To The Applause Of Nobody
Daniel Cormier | Stipe Miocic |
|---|---|
5'11" | 6'4" |
236 Pounds | 233 Pounds |
22-2 (Pre-Fight Record) | 19-3 (Pre-Fight Record) |
There were many victims of the apex era of the UFC, and Daniel Cormier might be at the top of the list. 'DC' was public about the fact that he planned to retire in 2020, following a potential trilogy bout with Stipe Miocic. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the historic third bout took place in front of no fans.
Cormier gave it his all but wound up losing by a controversial unanimous decision. He was also badly eye-poked in the bout, and it showed. Cormier's post-fight interview with Joe Rogan where he admits that he doesn't have it anymore is still sad to watch today.
