Second Fighter Retires After Bad UFC Stockholm Loss

UFC on ESPN+ Gustafsson vs. Smith was a solid event that gave a lot of clarity to the light heavyweight division.

Anthony Smith solidified himself as a legit force at the top of the weight class by beating Alexander Gustafsson via submission, and Aleksandar Rakic stole former soul-stealer Jimi Manuwa’s soul in 42 seconds with a massive headkick knockout (watch it here). It was a changing of the guards, and as far as Gustafsson was concerned, he had no interest in sticking around if he wasn’t going to stay on top.

But Gustafsson isn’t the only one moving on. German lightweight Nick Hein has also announced his retirement from fighting after taking a hell of a beating at the hands of Frank Camacho, forcing the ref to step in 4:56 into the second round. That was his third loss in a row after a promising 4-1 start in the UFC.

”20 years of judo sport (600 fights), of which 10 were on the national team,” he wrote in a Facebook message. “1 Decade MMA, 5 years in the UFC. I’m ready for the next chapter. Thank you all. I’m looking forward to the future.”

Spending most of his UFC career fighting internationally, Hein gained a reputation for being a tough as nails opponent. With three losses in a row, it was unlikely he was going to keep his position on the UFC roster regardless, so why not leave before getting shown the door? Hein isn’t someone who needs fighting. He’s been a police officer for over a decade and a fairly high profile one, having written a book about systematic issues with German police officer training and speaking out on issues surrounding crime with the press.

He’s also part of a somewhat unique story involving his first win in the UFC over Drew Dober in Berlin, Germany. Drew ended up at Hein’s afterparty and meeting Hein’s sister. Now the two are married, making Nick and Drew brothers-in-law.