Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
I know Patrick Cummins will likely be annoyed that I mentioned “barista” in the headline, but that was such a big part of his Cinderella story back in 2014, when “Durkin’” stepped in for the injured Rashad Evans to battle former training partner, Daniel Cormier.
Thus, Cry-Gate was born.
Cummins, 39, would go on to lose to Cormier but managed to carve out a respectable UFC career that ended with a record of 6-7, though he may have stayed a little too long past his expiration date, evidenced by his current three-fight losing streak.
“I’ve given the idea of retirement a lot of careful consideration over the past six months,” Cummins wrote on Instagram. “Today is the day that I officially say goodbye to my 20-plus year long career as an athlete. It’s not an easy decision to make especially when a competitive life is all I’ve ever known. I’m not quite sure what the next chapter will be titled, but I know one thing for certain. I won’t spend any more time involved in something that my heart isn’t 100% into. I spent over year in the UFC where that was the case but I wasn’t completely aware of it.”
Prior to his combat sports career, Cummins was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler out of Penn State.