In a sport like MMA, retirements are never forced. Unless the Athletic Commission intervenes or they fail to pass a physical examination, fighters are able to compete. Due to this, many legendary fighters have been able to fight for longer periods of time. However, whenever a fighter retires after a great time in their prime, the retirement bout is always special but also difficult to watch. Let’s have a look at some of the most heartbreaking retirement fights in the history of MMA.
10. Brad Pickett vs. Marlon Vera
Brad Pickett was one of the first beloved English fighters to make it to the UFC. However, by 2016, he was well past his best form. Pickett was scheduled to face relatively unknown Henry Briones on March 18, 2017, but instead had to face Marlon Vera because the former withdrew from the match. “One Punch” was winning on the scorecards until the final minutes. Unfortunately, he took a kick to the head at the last minute that knocked him unconscious.
9. Pat Miletich vs. Mike Jackson
Pat Miletich unretired earlier this year after a fight against former rival Mike Jackson. The feud between the two began following Miletich’s appearance in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The incident later caused Pat to lose his commentary job, which he blamed on Jackson. “The Croatian Sensation” then faced Jackson and lost the match by second-round stoppage. After this fight, the 55-year-old retired again, but it was difficult for fans to see him coming out of retirement at this age for a train wreck fight.
8. Anthony Johnson vs. Daniel Cormier
Anthony Johnson’s last UFC fight was on April 8, 2017. He faced Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 for the light heavyweight championship and lost the bout via submission. Following the loss, “Rumble” suddenly announced his retirement from the sport. He apologized to the fans for not giving them the long-awaited fight with Jon Jones. Although Johnson came back from retirement in 2021 and fought a match in Bellator, his untimely death in 2022 makes his retirement from the UFC cage and speech more painful to remember.
7. Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill
The UFC was struggling to find a new light-heavyweight champion when Jiri Prochazka got injured at the end of 2022. After the match between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalev ended in a draw, the company matched up Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill for January. Teixeira had already said before the fight that this fight could be his last fight and that is exactly what happened. After getting dominated by Hill and losing the fight, the Brazilian gave an emotional speech. Sadly, the arena in his hometown was mostly empty, making for quite a sad image.
6. Chael Sonnen vs. Lyoto Machida
Chael Sonnen’s retirement fight at Bellator 222 in 2019 was quite emotional. Sonnen fought Lyoto Machida for his last fight and suffered a knockout loss in the second round. After the fight, “The American Fighter” gave an emotional speech announcing his retirement. In the post-fight press conference, he appeared to leave the heel character and discussed how painful it was that he never won a world championship in MMA, this was Sonnen’s final wish for his father.
5. Anderson Silva vs. Uriah Hall
The Legendary Anderson Silva has been one of the greatest MMA fighters in the history of the sport. However, the second half of his career was tough to watch. “The Spider” still competes in boxing today, but he retired from MMA in 2020 at an empty UFC Apex. Silva was clearly still a good striker, as he was winning early exchanges against Uriah Hall. However, the Jamaican fighter scored a knockout victory and Silva kept his gloves down in the empty arena with no applause.
4. Chan Sung Jung vs. Max Holloway
“The Korean Zombie” is one of the greatest MMA fighters from Asia. He faced Max Holloway earlier this year, on August 26, for his retirement bout. While Chan Sung Jung had some moments of success during the fight, he was knocked down by “Blessed” in the third round. After the defeat, “The Korean Zombie” gave an emotional speech and it was heartbreaking to see such a great guy go out like that.
3. Shogun Rua vs. Ihor Potieria
Shogun Rua had a great career in MMA and he faced Ihor Potieria at UFC 283 for his retirement bout this year. Potieria was 15 years younger than his opponent and bigger. Unsurprisingly, Rua was badly knocked out in the first round. The Brazilian was treated brutally in his last fight, which was heartbreaking to watch. In the process, Potieria got help in building his career in the promotion.
2. Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic
Daniel Cormier already publicly mentioned that he was planning to retire in 2020 following a potential trilogy bout with Stipe Miocic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their historic third fight took place in an empty arena without fans. “DC” gave his all but lost the bout via a controversial unanimous decision. He was badly eye-poked during the bout and it was visible. In the post-fight interview, Cormier said that he admits he doesn’t have it anymore and it was sad to watch.
1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Ryan Bader
Fedor Emelinaneko is one of the greatest MMA fighters who never fought in the UFC. In 2021, Fedor scored a knockout win against Timothy Johnson and became the Bellator number-one contender. He targeted Ryan Bader for a rematch, as four years ago, “Darth” scored a knockout win against the Russian. In the rematch, “The Last Emperor” was badly dominated by Bader and lost the fight within the first round via stoppage. After this fight, Emelianenko retired from the sport.
Also Read: Ranking the 10 Best UFC Fights Of 2023
