Vinny Magalhaes Considering Unretirement Before He Can Even Retire

(Perosh saves his trash talking for the post-fight interview — it’s a strategy that Vinny should probably consider in the future.) 

Well, it finally happened. This whole “fighters announcing their retirement, then immediately unretiring” thing has finally jumped the shark.

You might recall that, in the weeks before his UFC 163 bout with Anthony Perosh, TUF 8 finalist Vinny Magalhaes told anyone who would listen that his 40 year old opponent “sucked” (not that he was trying to talk shit, he also reminded us) and that if he lost to Perosh, he “deserved to be cut.” Fourteen seconds and a big helping of humble pie later, Magalhaes laid down his gloves in the octagon, a universal symbol in the fight world for retirement.

While most of us were waiting for an official retirement announcement from Magalhaes any day now, it seems that Vinny is already recanting his retirement before it could even begin. Well, sort of. He recently spoke with MSN Brazil (via BJPenn.com), essentially changing his stance to “If the UFC cuts me, then I’ll retire.”

I have one more fight left in my contract, but we all know that it doesn’t mean much and there’s a chance that I get cut. Before this fight I said I deserved to get cut if I didn’t win. I’m waiting for UFC’s decision, anything can happen, but I really don’t care, man.


(Perosh saves his trash talking for the post-fight interview — it’s a strategy that Vinny should probably consider in the future.) 

Well, it finally happened. This whole “fighters announcing their retirement, then immediately unretiring” thing has finally jumped the shark.

You might recall that, in the weeks before his UFC 163 bout with Anthony Perosh, TUF 8 finalist Vinny Magalhaes told anyone who would listen that his 40 year old opponent “sucked” (not that he was trying to talk shit, he also reminded us) and that if he lost to Perosh, he “deserved to be cut.” Fourteen seconds and a big helping of humble pie later, Magalhaes laid down his gloves in the octagon, a universal symbol in the fight world for retirement.

While most of us were waiting for an official retirement announcement from Magalhaes any day now, it seems that Vinny is already recanting his retirement before it could even begin. Well, sort of. He recently spoke with MSN Brazil (via BJPenn.com), essentially changing his stance to “If the UFC cuts me, then I’ll retire.”

I have one more fight left in my contract, but we all know that it doesn’t mean much and there’s a chance that I get cut. Before this fight I said I deserved to get cut if I didn’t win. I’m waiting for UFC’s decision, anything can happen, but I really don’t care, man.

People say that the UFC doesn’t pay much to their fighters, but if you look to the other events it’s even worse. So if they cut me, I don’t see why I should keep fighting in other events. I’d rather open my own gym than fight for little money. I stopped fighting in Jiu-Jitsu because of the financial part, so it would make no sense for me to return now. If the UFC doesn’t renew my contract, I’ll stop. 

Meanwhile, Anthony Perosh is currently the greatest UFC fighter over 35 not undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (suck it, Vitor!). Let this be a lesson to all you up-and-coming fighters out there: Experience > arrogance.

–J. Jones