The lightweight veteran from Germany is hanging up the gloves.
It turns out that UFC Stockholm produced not just one, but two retirements.
While headliner Alexander Gustafsson garnered all the major headlines by calling it a career after his loss to fellow light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith, German lightweight Nick Hein has since announced that he’s also retiring.
Hein made this brief statement on his Facebook page:
20 years of Judo. Ten years in the national team.
One decade of MMA, 5 years in the UFC.
I am ready for the next chapter.
Thanks to everyone.
I am looking for the future.
The 35-year-old lost by second-round TKO to Frank Camacho on the preliminary card. It was his first TKO defeat since 2011.
Hein (14-5, 1 NC) made his UFC debut in 2014, winning a decision over Drew Dober, who would later become his brother-in-law after Drew married Nick’s sister. He then fell by decision to James Vick, but reeled off three straight wins over Lukasz Sajewski, Yusuke Kasuya, and Tae Hyun Bang.
After nearly two years away from the sport, Hein returned to action at UFC 224 vs. Davi Ramos in May of 2018, but lost by rear-naked choke. He had a fairly quick turnaround at UFC Hamburg last July, however he would not get a win in front of his home fans vs. Damir Hadzovic. Against Camacho, he was largely outclassed and offensively outgunned on his way to his third successive defeat, sending his UFC record down to 4-4.
Hein is a former police officer who has also had television acting roles in his native Germany, and he’s also a published author. You can only wish him the best as he reaches the next phase of his life.