After 11 years in the mixed martial arts (MMA) business, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight contender Evan Dunham will retire following his fight against Francisco Trinaldo.
Dunham announced his decision to walk away from the sport late Monday night (Aug. 20, 2018) on his Instagram account.
September 22 will be my last fight. I can retire from the sport that I love with my head held high. I know that I never held anything back while in the cage and September 22 will be no different. My goals and priorities have shifted throughout the years and I am ready to concentrate on building my gym, as well as any new opportunities that come my way. I have gone toe 2 toe with many of the worlds best competitors and I am truly grateful for this. My passion for Jiu Jitsu will continue to be a driving force in my gym and at select Jiu Jitsu competitions. I want to thank my family, friends and fans for all of your support throughout the years.
Evan’s fight against Trinaldo will be number 20 under the UFC banner after making his debut with the promotion way back in 2009. During his stint, Dunham racked up an 11-7-1 mark, scoring victories over the likes of Joe Lauzon and Tyson Griffin.
Prior to losing to Olivier Aubin-Mercierr at UFC 223, Dunham was on quite a roll, winning four in a row with one draw. He will look to end his combat career on a high not as he seeks a win against the always-gritty Trinaldo in Sao Paulo.
2018 has been busy year when to comes to the retirement front, as Felipe Arantas, Johny Hendricks, Josh Koscheck and Rashad Evans all announced their retirement. Furthermore, Thales Leites also announced he would walk away from the fight game following his bout against Hector Lombard. which will also go down at UFC Fight Night 137.