The mixed martial arts (MMA) landscape is just not as “Creepy” as it used to be.
That’s because former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight contender, Ian McCall, is tying a ribbon around his combat sports career and moving on to bigger and better things — that presumably won’t require him to get punched in the face.
McCall, 33, walks away from the sport with a record of 13-7-1. That includes a dreadful three-fight losing streak, two of which failed to make it to the judges’ scorecards after he parted ways with UFC roughly three years back.
From his conversation with The MMA Hour:
“I’m retiring finally, I think people have been waiting for this for a long time. I’m done. I’ve had a good run, it’s been fun, but at the same time, it’s over. After enough shenanigans that I’ve been through, I think physically I could still do it. Physically I go in the gym, I train hard. I beat people up, I have a good time, I love doing it, but with my luck and I hate to be the guy that’s like, ‘It always happens to me, the bad things always happen to me,’ well they kind of do in this sport. … I’m not gaining ground, I’m not getting closer to being the best in the world. The steps are getting farther and farther away and I’m not in this to be anything but the best in the world. And if I cannot compete at that level of the best in the world, then it’s just not worth it for me.”
McCall was dry cleaned by Kyoji Horiguchi at Rizin FF 10 earlier this month in Japan.
It’s been a tough couple of years for the troubled 125-pounder, who nearly changed history against Demetrious Johnson at UFC on FX 2 in early 2012. Unfortunately that bout ended in a draw and he was unable to keep pace in their UFC on FX 3 rematch.
Then came a series of “ongoing” health issues and some revelations about his psychological well being that raised a few eyebrows. Couple that with his struggles inside the cage/ring and retirement feels like the right choice.
So, as a fan, what’s your favorite “Uncle Creepy” fight?