The Ultimate Fighter season 17 runner-up and longtime middleweight contender has decided to call it a career.
Uriah Hall is leaving his gloves in the Octagon.
The UFC middleweight announced on Wednesday that he has retired from mixed martial arts after fighting for almost 17 years. In his heartfelt departing message, Hall thanked his team, family, friends and fans, as well as the promotion for the commitment and dedication he received throughout his time as a fighter. He spent the majority of his professional career under the UFC banner, going 10-9 in 19 appearances.
“It is with great sadness that I will be stepping away from the greatest sport in the world,” wrote Hall on Instagram. “I’m going to miss the incredible UFC staff that has became like family and the mentors I have met along the way. The UFC has given me the best opportunity to step completely outside my comfort zone. Throughout the years I’ve gone up against some of the best in the world at the highest level. Although I did not achieve the rank of world champion I’ve acquired some of my greatest achievements from mixed martial arts and that was facing my fears and being a champion in life. I want to thank the incredible fans, you guys made the sport what it is today.
“It is important to have the right people around you that care for you and encourage you to become a better version of yourself,” continued Hall. “I want to thank my team, my coaches, my friends and my family always standing by me. You all have been the driving force that encouraged me daily. Lastly, I want to specifically thank Dana White for giving me the opportunity to collide with modern day gladiators. Thank you for always supporting me thru [sic] the good and the bad…To the next generation you are the top 1% greatest athlete’s on the planet. Will be a pleasure to watch where you all take this sport from here. I will be watching! Goforth.”
Hall joined the UFC after an appearance on The Ultimate Fighter over nine years ago. A unanimous decision against Andy Enz saw Hall enter the TUF House, where he dispatched his next three opponents with relative ease. ‘Prime Time’ finished them by (T)KO, but the most noteworthy one was the spinning wheel kick knockout of Adam Cella during the preliminary rounds. That was awarded ‘Knockout of the Season,’ which saw him net a $25k bonus. Hall fought Kelvin Gastelum at TUF 17 Finale but suffered a split decision loss to his Team Sonnen teammate.
The TUF 17 finalist went on to compete against some of the best talents in the UFC middleweight division, earning wins over the likes of Gegard Mousasi, Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman. He was also tied with the aforementioned Silva and Thiago Santos for the most knockouts in divisional history (eight).
Hall was previously on a four-fight win streak that was halted after consecutive losses to Sean Strickland and André Muniz at UFC Vegas 33 and UFC 276, respectively. The 38-year-old leaves the sport with a record of 17-11.