Over the last few years, we’ve seen some of our favorite UFC fighters decline inside the Octagon or retire completely. Less than three years ago, in December 2010, it was Chuck Liddell who made his retirement official. For many fans, it appeared Liddell was going to continue fighting until he was yanked out of the […]
Over the last few years, we’ve seen some of our favorite UFC fighters decline inside the Octagon or retire completely. Less than three years ago, in December 2010, it was Chuck Liddell who made his retirement official. For many fans, it appeared Liddell was going to continue fighting until he was yanked out of the […]
(Liddell’s decision to retire involved sober discussions with those closest to him)
Our favorite corporate Zuffa desk jockey, Chuck Liddell, recently fielded questions in Brazil from fans and discussed his decision to retire in 2010. At that time, the former light heavyweight champion had lost three straight, all by TKO or KO, and five out of his last six fights.
UFC President, and Liddell’s one-time manager, Dana White publicly said that the legend should retire and since that time, it has been widely assumed and reported that White coerced or talked The Iceman into hanging up his gloves. However, Liddell told fans that when he met with White in the fall of 2010, he’d already decided on his own to quit.
“I talked to my family, my coaches, and then I went to Dana,” Liddell recounted for fans. “I talked to Dana. Dana and I actually went to dinner, and he thought I was going to ask him to fight again. I came to dinner, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m done.’ He was relieved.”
“I asked him to just hold off for about three months and give me some time to get adjusted to it before I have to talk to people about it because it was a hard decision for me,” Liddell went on.
While the decision to stop competing professionally was a tough one for the fighter, he says that he realizes that leaving when he did and not sustaining more damage was the right thing to do. “I love fighting, and I didn’t want to stop, but it was the right decision at the time between my coaches and my family,” Chuck said.
(Liddell’s decision to retire involved sober discussions with those closest to him)
Our favorite corporate Zuffa desk jockey, Chuck Liddell, recently fielded questions in Brazil from fans and discussed his decision to retire in 2010. At that time, the former light heavyweight champion had lost three straight, all by TKO or KO, and five out of his last six fights.
UFC President, and Liddell’s one-time manager, Dana White publicly said that the legend should retire and since that time, it has been widely assumed and reported that White coerced or talked The Iceman into hanging up his gloves. However, Liddell told fans that when he met with White in the fall of 2010, he’d already decided on his own to quit.
“I talked to my family, my coaches, and then I went to Dana,” Liddell recounted for fans. “I talked to Dana. Dana and I actually went to dinner, and he thought I was going to ask him to fight again. I came to dinner, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m done.’ He was relieved.”
“I asked him to just hold off for about three months and give me some time to get adjusted to it before I have to talk to people about it because it was a hard decision for me,” Liddell went on.
While the decision to stop competing professionally was a tough one for the fighter, he says that he realizes that leaving when he did and not sustaining more damage was the right thing to do. ”I love fighting, and I didn’t want to stop, but it was the right decision at the time between my coaches and my family,” Chuck said.
“I think I made the right decision in retiring. Unless something changes, I’ll stay retired.”
Liddell maintained that he’d come back to hit Tito Ortiz some more but otherwise, you know, he’ll just chill. It’s too bad that not all fighters, not even all famous former champions, have the means to retire when they should – or even some time after they should – as Liddell did.
We sure are glad that Chuck realized he didn’t have anything more to prove and is now making bank shooting beer commercials and doing whatever it is he does in his executive job for the UFC. ‘Taters, who are some of your favorite fighters that should hang it up for the sake of their health?
Fifteen years after starting his professional MMA career, and six years after becoming the UFC welterweight champion in one of the greatest upsets of all time, veteran fighter Matt Serra has told Newsday that he is “walking away” from the sport after a life-threatening health scare.
“I really think I’m walking away,” Serra said. “I’m going to be 39, I just had my rib taken out. I’m having my third kid. My schools are doing well. What am I doing, looking for another pay day? It’s not really for that. I mean, it doesn’t stink, but it’s not really for that. Am I still trying to hold on for the glory? Glory is a drug, dude. I’m telling you, that’s the problem. It really is. I know why guys can’t walk away. I absolutely get it.”
Serra developed three blood clots that hospitalized him — two in an arm and one more in a lung. “Then I got freaked out,” the Long Island native said. “You don’t catch that [and] after the lung, that stops your heart or your brain. Then you’re done. I’m very fortunate to, basically, be here. Sounds kind of morbid. If I didn’t catch that — I was about to go to bed. I’m like, man, something’s not feeling right.”
Serra now takes blood thinners and has to receive injections of an anticoagulant per day for the next three months. The blood clots in his arm caused another serious health condition, which required surgery. According to Newsday, Serra’s collarbone and first rib on his left side were compressing a blood vessel and restricting blood flow — a condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome — which forced him to have the rib removed in early May.
Despite not having fought since 2010 and now dealing with these serious health issues, Serra cannot bring himself to shut the door completely on fighting in the future or even to use the word “retirement.”
Fifteen years after starting his professional MMA career, and six years after becoming the UFC welterweight champion in one of the greatest upsets of all time, veteran fighter Matt Serra has told Newsday that he is “walking away” from the sport after a life-threatening health scare.
“I really think I’m walking away,” Serra said. ”I’m going to be 39, I just had my rib taken out. I’m having my third kid. My schools are doing well. What am I doing, looking for another pay day? It’s not really for that. I mean, it doesn’t stink, but it’s not really for that. Am I still trying to hold on for the glory? Glory is a drug, dude. I’m telling you, that’s the problem. It really is. I know why guys can’t walk away. I absolutely get it.”
Serra developed three blood clots that hospitalized him — two in an arm and one more in a lung. “Then I got freaked out,” the Long Island native said. “You don’t catch that [and] after the lung, that stops your heart or your brain. Then you’re done. I’m very fortunate to, basically, be here. Sounds kind of morbid. If I didn’t catch that — I was about to go to bed. I’m like, man, something’s not feeling right.”
Serra now takes blood thinners and has to receive injections of an anticoagulant per day for the next three months. The blood clots in his arm caused another serious health condition, which required surgery. According to Newsday, Serra’s collarbone and first rib on his left side were compressing a blood vessel and restricting blood flow — a condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome — which forced him to have the rib removed in early May.
Despite not having fought since 2010 and now dealing with these serious health issues, Serra cannot bring himself to shut the door completely on fighting in the future or even to use the word “retirement.”
“It’s hard to say it,” Serra said. “It’s like you can’t say it, even though it probably is true. I would love to put closure on my career with one last fight at [Madison Square] Garden, but at the same time, if that doesn’t happen, I definitely consider myself done. It’s hard to say the ‘R word.’ I might never say the ‘R word.’”
Still, the Terror knows that people won’t want to see him fight forever, though he might want to. “An aging fighter? You know, it’s like an aging stripper, but not as funny,” Serra joked sagely. “Not a lot of people want to see that.”
After taking six to eight weeks to recover from his rib removal surgery, Serra still plans to train Jiu Jitsu. “I need my jiu-jitsu, man,” the third-degree black belt said. “I don’t need to spar. I don’t need to kickbox or box every day. Even if you see me with some pasta, I’m still strangling and arm-locking people at least five days a week and I need that.”
Though Serra admits that walking away from the addictive glory of being a famous and active UFC fighter is difficult, he says he’s found contentment with where his life is now. “I know I can be beat by some of these guys, but I know I can still knock some of these guys out and be a threat on the ground,” Serra assessed.
“But at the same time, it used to be that the thing that made me happiest was the next fight. Now, I whistle to work going to my schools. I love hanging out with my kids, my family. That’s something you never really anticipate or understand it until you have a family. I love spending time with my girls. I’m a very involved dad.”
Serra was the first American to receive a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Renzo Gracie, won the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter, and became the welterweight champion of the world when he stopped Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69 in 2007, before losing the title to GSP in a rematch the following year.
The former champion began his career in 1998 and made his UFC debut three years later. Serra’s last bout was a decision loss to Chris Lytle in their TUF 4 Finale rematch at UFC 119 in 2010.
Throughout his career, Serra gave voice to good-natured wise asses everywhere and set an example for all those who feel like underdogs. He was a Jiu Jitsu player who slung heat and never backed down from a challenge.
That’s why – in many ways – it should come as little surprise that UFC Lightweight also-ran John Cholish is walking away from the sport after his loss to Gleison Tibau during last night’s UFC on FX 8.
If you find yourself wondering who John Cholish is, you’re far from alone. After compiling a 7-1 record in the minor leagues – including a victory on the undercard of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva – the Renzo Gracie product made his UFC debut at UFC 140, where he defeated Mitch Clarke by second round TKO. This would be the final victory of his career, as Cholish would then drop a decision to Danny Castillo during the UFC on FOX 3 undercard, lose to Gleison Tibau last night and retire from the sport. Another small fish in a big pond, whose career barely made a splash.
Perhaps fittingly, Cholish’s retirement may very well end up being the most significant part of his career. Cholish – who announced his intent to retire on Twitter shortly before the his fight – made it clear while speaking with MMAJunkie.com that the low paychecks that fighters in his position earn were his primary motivation for hanging up the gloves. Via MMAJunkie:
Cholish estimates that after training costs, his paycheck from last night’s fight wasn’t enough to break even. Photo courtesy of his Twitter page.
That’s why – in many ways – it should come as little surprise that UFC Lightweight also-ran John Cholish is walking away from the sport after his loss to Gleison Tibau during last night’s UFC on FX 8.
If you find yourself wondering who John Cholish is, you’re far from alone. After compiling a 7-1 record in the minor leagues – including a victory on the undercard of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva – the Renzo Gracie product made his UFC debut at UFC 140, where he defeated Mitch Clarke by second round TKO. This would be the final victory of his career, as Cholish would then drop a decision to Danny Castillo during the UFC on FOX 3 undercard, lose to Gleison Tibau last night and retire from the sport. Another small fish in a big pond, whose career barely made a splash.
Perhaps fittingly, Cholish’s retirement may very well end up being the most significant part of his career. Cholish – who announced his intent to retire on Twitter shortly before the his fight – made it clear while speaking with MMAJunkie.com that the low paychecks that fighters in his position earn were his primary motivation for hanging up the gloves. Via MMAJunkie:
“I’m fortunate enough that I have a job that provides for me really well,” Cholish said. “I give a lot of these guys credit that fight at this level. I think they could be compensated much better based on the income that the UFC takes in. Fortunately, I can just walk away and I’m OK with it. By no means do I mean it disrespectfully toward any other fighters because I think they do a great job. But hopefully Zuffa and the UFC will start paying them a little better.”
By the way, this job he’s referring to? Yeah, he’s a full-time energy trader on Wall Street. I know, I feel worthless now, too.
Don’t assume that the “low paychecks” he’s complaining about are simply “low for a guy who works on Wall Street.” While the amount of money that Cholish made for his losing efforts to Castillo and Tibau haven’t been disclosed, we do know that he only made $8,000 for his lone UFC victory. It’s doubtful that he earned more than that last night: Cholish estimates that after travel expenses and training costs, he lost money by competing in Brazil.
“At the end of the day, it’s hard,” he said. “I have great coaches that take time off and travel. They deserve money, as well. To be completely honest, on a fight like this, I’m losing money to come down here. Flights, hotel rooms, food – and that doesn’t even cover the cost of the time I have to pay for my coaches for training. It’s funny because people talk about the fighters, but at the same time there’s camps and coaches behind the fighters that you don’t even see. So if a fighter is having a tough time making ends meet, how do you think his coaches are doing?”
So what does Cholish offer up as a solution? The obvious answer, of course, is the formation of a fighters union. However, Cholish isn’t stupid. Because he still intends on training regularly and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of coming out of retirement (who actually does?), he says “form a union” in the most careful, “I’m not saying I’m just saying” manner possible.
“I don’t know if there is one significant answer,” he said. “And again, this is just my opinion, so there’s no right or wrong. It’s hard because you have top-level guys like Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva that have started off where we started and worked really hard to get there. So is it right for them to have to give up what they did to try and sacrifice for the greater good? It’s an individual sport, at the end of the day. It’s not like you have a whole team that can kind of step away, like in baseball, when the first union started. Only time will tell. (Zuffa is) a private company. Maybe when it goes public at one point?
I know the Zuffa higher-ups probably aren’t happy with what I’m saying, but I’d like to think I can speak for the lower portion of fighters. A lot of guys I’m sure would love to say the same thing but aren’t in a position where they have another source of income.”
Enjoy your retirement, John. You made the most out of your time in the sport, despite never making much money from it.
Chael Sonnen wasn’t the most deserving fighter when it came to the light heavyweight division title fight, but that’s exactly the position he’s claimed after stepping up in Dan Henderson’s stead and agreeing to challenge Jon Jones at the much-anticipated UFC 159 main event. Sonnen needs to make the most of his chance against Jones, […]
Chael Sonnen wasn’t the most deserving fighter when it came to the light heavyweight division title fight, but that’s exactly the position he’s claimed after stepping up in Dan Henderson’s stead and agreeing to challenge Jon Jones at the much-anticipated UFC 159 main event. Sonnen needs to make the most of his chance against Jones, […]
(Yeah, we’d miss this kind of thing too. Photo via Getty Images.)
Alright, this is getting ri-goddamn-diculous.
Less than a fortnight ago, we dropped the official ban hammer on fighters announcing their retirement from the sport, then immediately unretiring. Aside from the fact that most of these so-called “retirements” last less time than the average hangover, the fighters who usually pull this bait-and-switch tend to look anything but “revitalized” or “renewed” upon returning. In most cases, it is quite the opposite.
And the latest offender of our ban? Former Strikeforce light heavyweight and semi-rehabilitated former bastard Mike Kyle, who announced his retirement from the sport following a first round submission loss to Gegard Mousasi in January. As in January of this year. One would think it would take a mighty fine offer against a well known opponent to draw Kyle out of retirement so quickly. One would be wrong, as it was announced recently that Kyle will be squaring off against fellow Strikeforce vet Valentijn Overeem in a heavyweight contest in May. Details via MMAJunkie:
A heavyweight bout between former Strikeforce fighters Mike Kyle (19-9-1) and Valentijn Overeem (32-30) is set for Championship Fighting Alliance’s 11th event, which is slated for May 24 at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
(Yeah, we’d miss this kind of thing too. Photo via Getty Images.)
Alright, this is getting ri-goddamn-diculous.
Less than a fortnight ago, we dropped the official ban hammer on fighters announcing their retirement from the sport, then immediately unretiring. Aside from the fact that most of these so-called “retirements” last less time than the average hangover, the fighters who usually pull this bait-and-switch tend to look anything but “revitalized” or “renewed” upon returning. In most cases, it is quite the opposite.
And the latest offender of our ban? Former Strikeforce light heavyweight and semi-rehabilitated former bastard Mike Kyle, who announced his retirement from the sport following a first round submission loss to Gegard Mousasi in January. As in January of this year. One would think it would take a mighty fine offer against a well known opponent to draw Kyle out of retirement so quickly. One would be wrong, as it was announced recently that Kyle will be squaring off against fellow Strikeforce vet Valentijn Overeem in a heavyweight contest in May. Details via MMAJunkie:
A heavyweight bout between former Strikeforce fighters Mike Kyle (19-9-1) and Valentijn Overeem (32-30) is set for Championship Fighting Alliance’s 11th event, which is slated for May 24 at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
Although Kyle’s decision is a little frustrating from a fan’s perspective at first, it’s not hard to see what “MAK’s” endgame is here. In case you lack the astute observational skills of the average MMA blogger, it goes like this: Kyle never really wanted to retire, but realized following his loss to Mousasi (and given his general reputation in the MMA community) that he would not be heading (back) to the UFC with some of his fellow Strikeforce cohorts. Not wanting to be left standing out in the rain, so to speak, Kyle figured he would save his dignity and retire, then unretire, crush a total can, and declare that “he is back” before starting a #RallyforKyle campaign to finally get back in the UFC.
Nice try, you snake in the grass.
But if you ask us, the real shame here is that — barring the possibility that Kyle has been training at Jackson’s MMA, Black House, and Tristar simultaneously since retiring — there is zero chance that we will see a better version of the 33 year-old in his next appearance. Then again, he will be fighting the other Overeem known for turtling at the first signs of resistance in Valentijn, who is just 1-3 in his last 4 fights including a loss in Russia last December that has yet to even be acknowledged by his Sherdog profile…
