Tag: retirement

And Now She’s Retired: Julie Kedzie Hangs Up Her Gloves Following Loss at UFC Fight Night 33


(Kedzie — being gawked at by Gina Carano and Gary Shaw — in the good ‘ol bad days of women’s MMA. / Photo via George Ruiz)

When Julie Kedzie dropped a split-decision to Bethe Correia at UFC Fight Night 33, it marked her fourth-consecutive loss in MMA, dropping her lifetime record to 16-13. But even before the scores were read, Kedzie had made up her mind that she had reached the end of the road. Directly following the fight, Kedzie went on twitter to announce her retirement from MMA, after nearly ten years in the sport:

Before walking out to my fight today, I had a long talk with my coach and we decided that this would be my last MMA fight. I would have loved to have gone out on a win, but c’est la vie-don’t leave it to the judges. Heartbreak is a huge part of this sport. I really truly want to thank all of you for being a part of my journey as a fighter. I will still be involved in MMA for the rest of my life..but now it’s time for me to accept that I can give more to the sport by stepping back and taking role in helping to develop other fighters. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the @UFC, my team, and all of you who have made me achieve some amazing dreams.

Female bantamweight old-schoolers like Kedzie, Roxanne Modafferi, and Shayna Baszler have looked a step behind their more modern counterparts during their brief time featured in the UFC and on TUF, but it would be unfair to chalk it up to a lack of talent. What we’ve witnessed lately has been a generational changing-of-the-guard, in which the pioneers — who often start out one-dimensional, rounding out their games as they go along — are replaced by the young fighters who grew up with the sport.

Julie Kedzie began her career in 2004, when eight-person tournaments were still socially acceptable, before women’s MMA was readily available on television, and when there was virtually no incentive for a women to compete in MMA, other than the thrill of competition.


(Kedzie — being gawked at by Gina Carano and Gary Shaw — in the good ‘ol bad days of women’s MMA. / Photo via George Ruiz)

When Julie Kedzie dropped a split-decision to Bethe Correia at UFC Fight Night 33, it marked her fourth-consecutive loss in MMA, dropping her lifetime record to 16-13. But even before the scores were read, Kedzie had made up her mind that she had reached the end of the road. Directly following the fight, Kedzie went on twitter to announce her retirement from MMA, after nearly ten years in the sport:

Before walking out to my fight today, I had a long talk with my coach and we decided that this would be my last MMA fight. I would have loved to have gone out on a win, but c’est la vie-don’t leave it to the judges. Heartbreak is a huge part of this sport. I really truly want to thank all of you for being a part of my journey as a fighter. I will still be involved in MMA for the rest of my life..but now it’s time for me to accept that I can give more to the sport by stepping back and taking role in helping to develop other fighters. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the @UFC, my team, and all of you who have made me achieve some amazing dreams.

Female bantamweight old-schoolers like Kedzie, Roxanne Modafferi, and Shayna Baszler have looked a step behind their more modern counterparts during their brief time featured in the UFC and on TUF, but it would be unfair to chalk it up to a lack of talent. What we’ve witnessed lately has been a generational changing-of-the-guard, in which the pioneers — who often start out one-dimensional, rounding out their games as they go along — are replaced by the young fighters who grew up with the sport.

Julie Kedzie began her career in 2004, when eight-person tournaments were still socially acceptable, before women’s MMA was readily available on television, and when there was virtually no incentive for a women to compete in MMA, other than the thrill of competition. After winning three fights in one night at the HOOKnSHOOT: 2005 Women’s Grand Prix — taking out Missy Karr, Jen Finney, and Molly Helsel — Kedzie became a regular in the fledgling WMMA circuit, tangling with other notable names like Baszler and Tara LaRosa.

Kedzie got her first big TV spot in February 2007, when she fought Gina Carano on the Showtime broadcast of EliteXC: Destiny, dropping a unanimous decision to Carano in an action-packed three rounder that marked the first women’s bout aired live on American television.

From there, Kedzie’s career endured the highs and lows of any regional fighter trying to make his or her way in the sport. She was part of Ultimate Women Challenge, which began as a promising TUF-clone for women, and quickly turned into a nightmarish fiasco. She also won the Jackson’s MMA Series women’s bantamweight title in April 2011, with a decision win against Kaitlin Young. It was the last time she’d taste victory.

Kedzie landed in Strikeforce, where she lost twice, first to Alexis Davis (by decision), then to Miesha Tate (by third-round armbar). Following the formal dissolution of Strikeforce at the beginning of this year, Kedzie was picked up by the UFC, and lost her Octagon debut to Germaine de Randamie by split-decision. Sometime after that, she decided that competing in MMA wasn’t in her blood anymore. By the time she fought Correia, she was already gone. (Thankfully, she left us with one more classic weigh-in moment.)

Since last year, Kedzie has worked as a broadcaster for the all-female promotion Invicta FC, and she’s also a contributing writer to Fightland, where she’s shared some incredible tales about her life in the sport. The point is, Julie has other things to occupy her, and she retired from the sport for the right reasons. Instead of slogging on for years in local shows, continuing to trade her physical health for small amounts of money, she recognized that being a pro MMA fighter wasn’t really working for her anymore. She doesn’t need it, so she left. Could have been worse.

Julie Kedzie helped build the foundation for American WMMA simply by being there when only a handful of women thought it was worth it, and for that she deserves all of our respect. CagePotato would like to wish Julie the best of luck with everything that comes after this. You can send her some love on twitter @julesk_fighter.


(Remember her well. Props: MMAFighting.com)

UFC Fight Night 33 Results: ‘Shogun’ Rua Staves off Retirement with Te Huna KO

Even before Mauricio “Shogun” Rua took the cage on Friday night, the elegies for his storied career were already being written. During the run-up to Rua’s fight against James Te Huna, we’d heard all about his knees (shot), his cardio (suspect) and the intimidating aura he’d cultivated during his youth (now a distant memory). The […]

Even before Mauricio “Shogun” Rua took the cage on Friday night, the elegies for his storied career were already being written. During the run-up to Rua’s fight against James Te Huna, we’d heard all about his knees (shot), his cardio (suspect) and the intimidating aura he’d cultivated during his youth (now a distant memory). The […]

Related Posts:

Sad Quote of the Day: Forrest Griffin “Can’t Shoot a Basketball, Can’t Throw a Ball, and Has to Brush His Teeth With His Left Hand” These Days


(And to top it all off, his depth perception has somehow gotten *worse*. Photo via Getty.)

Remember how Ronda Rousey told Miesha Tate that she “should get used to wiping her ass with the other hand?” Well, if Forrest Griffin is to be believed, alternate arm ass wiping is probably a reality she’ll be facing down the line regardless of what Rousey does to her at UFC 168.

Griffin recently appeared on The MMA Hour to discuss life after the UFC, and when asked if there ever a possibility we’d see him unretire (because us MMA journalists simply cannot leave well enough alone), Griffin gave a typically candid response:

I physically can’t (come back). I didn’t want to be done, in the beginning. When I announced my retirement, that was actually when I was trying to come back and I realized, it just wasn’t viable. It passed me by. My shoulder is done. I brush my teeth with my left hand now. That’s just the way it goes. I can’t shoot a basketball, I can’t throw any kind of ball. I was right handed.

The last three years, I was kinda fighting with one arm, on and off. My training camp was, I don’t want to call it Frank Mir style, but it was Frank Mir style. It’s like, I’m going to work on whatever hurts the least today. What are we doing today? Well, what’s not broken today? That’s what we’re going to do today.


(And to top it all off, his depth perception has somehow gotten *worse*. Photo via Getty.)

Remember how Ronda Rousey told Miesha Tate that she “should get used to wiping her ass with the other hand?” Well, if Forrest Griffin is to be believed, alternate arm ass wiping is probably a reality she’ll be facing down the line regardless of what Rousey does to her at UFC 168.

Griffin recently appeared on The MMA Hour to discuss life after the UFC, and when asked if there ever a possibility we’d see him unretire (because us MMA journalists simply cannot leave well enough alone), Griffin gave a typically candid response:

I physically can’t (come back). I didn’t want to be done, in the beginning. When I announced my retirement, that was actually when I was trying to come back and I realized, it just wasn’t viable. It passed me by. My shoulder is done. I brush my teeth with my left hand now. That’s just the way it goes. I can’t shoot a basketball, I can’t throw any kind of ball. I was right handed.

The last three years, I was kinda fighting with one arm, on and off. My training camp was, I don’t want to call it Frank Mir style, but it was Frank Mir style. It’s like, I’m going to work on whatever hurts the least today. What are we doing today? Well, what’s not broken today? That’s what we’re going to do today.

It’s funny how the lives of Griffin and his greatest rival have diverged since their final UFC fight at UFC 148. Here you have one guy who, not without apprehension, was willing to admit that his body had had enough and needed to pack it in. On the other side of the coin, you have a guy (4 years the elder of the first guy, BTW) who came to the same conclusion, only to recant on said decision via a bathroom selfie and suffer an injury that *should* have confirmed his decision in the first place.

But don’t worry, the latter is already “90% recovered” from said injury. Our response can be found here.

–J. Jones

6 UFC Fighters Who Should Follow Rich Franklin into Retirement in 2014

Legendary UFC multiweight Rich Franklin made news last week, announcing that his next showing in the Octagon would be his last. He’s been a middleweight champion, a solid contender at 205 and has always been willing to fight anyone at any weight between the two. And now he knows it’s time to hang ‘em up. […]

Legendary UFC multiweight Rich Franklin made news last week, announcing that his next showing in the Octagon would be his last. He’s been a middleweight champion, a solid contender at 205 and has always been willing to fight anyone at any weight between the two. And now he knows it’s time to hang ‘em up. […]

Related Posts:

Jon Jones Teases Superfight With Cain Velasquez, Retirement at Age 30


(Photo via Getty)

In the 20-year history of the UFC, no fighter has ever held two title belts simultaneously, or kicked off a championship reign in a second weight class immediately after leaving his original division. If any fighter could accomplish such a feat at this point, it’s Jon Jones, who has already enjoyed a tremendous run at 205 pounds, and has the height and reach to make a move to heavyweight seem credible.

Jones has been considering a hypothetical move to heavyweight since early 2012, but the switch is looking more and more likely as 2014 approaches. While speaking at Gentlemen’s Expo in Toronto over the weekend, Jones voiced his desire for a super-fight against heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez within the next year, followed by a permanent departure from the light-heavyweight division. Here’s what he had to say, via MMAWeekly:

“I think that’s going to happen within the next two years. I’ll go up to heavyweight, permanently,” Jones said. “I’ve been really thinking about me and Cain Velasquez going at it. Don’t be surprised if you see that sooner or later.”

Jones added that he thinks a fight between him and Velasquez will be huge for the sport, and he anticipates taking a “super fight” within the next year.

Velasquez typically tips the scale at roughly 240 pounds, routinely fighting opponents that outweigh him by up to as many as 25 pounds. Jones said he walks around at about 230 pounds, but would pack on some extra muscle to fight Velasquez at a similar weight.

“I would gain about 10 pounds of muscle and compete with him at about 240 [pounds],” Jones said…


(Photo via Getty)

In the 20-year history of the UFC, no fighter has ever held two title belts simultaneously, or kicked off a championship reign in a second weight class immediately after leaving his original division. If any fighter could accomplish such a feat at this point, it’s Jon Jones, who has already enjoyed a tremendous run at 205 pounds, and has the height and reach to make a move to heavyweight seem credible.

Jones has been considering a hypothetical move to heavyweight since early 2012, but the switch is looking more and more likely as 2014 approaches. While speaking at Gentlemen’s Expo in Toronto over the weekend, Jones voiced his desire for a super-fight against heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez within the next year, followed by a permanent departure from the light-heavyweight division. Here’s what he had to say, via MMAWeekly:

“I think that’s going to happen within the next two years. I’ll go up to heavyweight, permanently,” Jones said. “I’ve been really thinking about me and Cain Velasquez going at it. Don’t be surprised if you see that sooner or later.”

Jones added that he thinks a fight between him and Velasquez will be huge for the sport, and he anticipates taking a “super fight” within the next year.

Velasquez typically tips the scale at roughly 240 pounds, routinely fighting opponents that outweigh him by up to as many as 25 pounds. Jones said he walks around at about 230 pounds, but would pack on some extra muscle to fight Velasquez at a similar weight.

“I would gain about 10 pounds of muscle and compete with him at about 240 [pounds],” Jones said…

“[Velasquez is] definitely the toughest guy in the division,” he said. “He’s not that big, so I think it’ll be a really entertaining fight.”

Already the longest-reigning light-heavyweight champ ever — with six straight title-defenses and counting — a move to heavyweight would be the perfect way for the 26-year-old Jones to give his career a second act. But if Jones has his way, his time at heavyweight will be short, relatively speaking. As he told MMAJunkie, he plans to leave MMA entirely at the age of 30:

“I just want to leave the sport with a good head on my shoulders,” Jones told MMAjunkie. “I don’t want to be one of these guys that are taking fights way past their prime…I want to leave my legacy in a healthy spot. I want my legacy to be respected and I just want to leave on top.”

“I’ve had a lot of doors be opened through MMA and I just feel like there’s a lot of other business out there…I’ve got a little bit more to prove, but I’ve also proven a lot already and there’s no need to do it after 30,” Jones said. “I think I’m a smart enough guy to be able to do a lot of other things.”

In the meantime, Jones has a Spring 2014 title defense against Glover Teixeira to prepare for (date still TBA), which could be followed by a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson down the road, as long as Jones beats Glover and Gus beats Jimi Manuwa. And if Jones wins that fight? Well, he’ll be poised to make history with a super-fight against Cain Velasquez…assuming that Cain is still holding the belt by then. In other words, Jones’s two-year plan has so many moving pieces that it’s almost guaranteed to break down somewhere along the way, and he probably just jinxed a superfight against Velasquez simply by mentioning it. But for now, he’s got our attention.

UFC/Strikeforce Vet Brian Melancon Retires Due to Kidney Problems


(Photo via Getty)

Brian Melancon‘s first year in the UFC has turned out to be his last one. The Texas-based welterweight announced his retirement today, putting an abrupt end to a 10-fight professional career. Here’s his statement (via BloodyElbow):

It has been announced, I am sad to say that my fight career is over. I have been having kidney problems that have gotten much worse recently and just found out that my kidney function has dropped to 47%. If I continue to train, fight, and cut weight then I run the risk of permanent damage. I have been advised by my Specialist to retire and move on and that is what I will be doing. This is not how I wanted to go out, but I have to believe that God has another path for me. Thanks to all of you who supported me throughout my career.

After compiling a 6-2 record with appearances in Bellator, Legacy Fighting Championship, and Strikeforce, Melancon was called up to the big leagues earlier this year, and scored a vicious first-round knockout of Seth Baczynski in his Octagon debut at UFC 162. Less than two months later, he returned to action as an injury replacement against Kelvin Gastelum, and was quickly submitted by rear-naked choke. Melancon was scheduled to fight Robert Whittaker at UFC Fight Night 33 next month, but withdrew from the fight shortly before issuing his retirement statement.

We have no other information about Melancon’s condition, although kidney issues have long been associated with intense weight-cutting in combat sports. Luckily, the 31-year-old isn’t without career options. Melancon holds a Master of Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch, and has worked part-time as a home health physical therapist during his MMA career. We wish Brian the best of luck in his life after fighting.


(Photo via Getty)

Brian Melancon‘s first year in the UFC has turned out to be his last one. The Texas-based welterweight announced his retirement today, putting an abrupt end to a 10-fight professional career. Here’s his statement (via BloodyElbow):

It has been announced, I am sad to say that my fight career is over. I have been having kidney problems that have gotten much worse recently and just found out that my kidney function has dropped to 47%. If I continue to train, fight, and cut weight then I run the risk of permanent damage. I have been advised by my Specialist to retire and move on and that is what I will be doing. This is not how I wanted to go out, but I have to believe that God has another path for me. Thanks to all of you who supported me throughout my career.

After compiling a 6-2 record with appearances in Bellator, Legacy Fighting Championship, and Strikeforce, Melancon was called up to the big leagues earlier this year, and scored a vicious first-round knockout of Seth Baczynski in his Octagon debut at UFC 162. Less than two months later, he returned to action as an injury replacement against Kelvin Gastelum, and was quickly submitted by rear-naked choke. Melancon was scheduled to fight Robert Whittaker at UFC Fight Night 33 next month, but withdrew from the fight shortly before issuing his retirement statement.

We have no other information about Melancon’s condition, although kidney issues have long been associated with intense weight-cutting in combat sports. Luckily, the 31-year-old isn’t without career options. Melancon holds a Master of Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch, and has worked part-time as a home health physical therapist during his MMA career. We wish Brian the best of luck in his life after fighting.