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In the UFC, fighters rarely retire from active competition when they should. In fact, it is a common occurrence throughout all combat sports, with boxers, kickboxers, and MMA fighters all struggling to accept that time has passed by. Many stick around long after being past their prime.
However eventually, they're forced to retire. While some fighters manage to get something of a fairytale ending by going out on a high with a win, like Robbie Lawler's first-round knockout over Niko Price, that is the exception, not the norm. Most fighters, however, retire after losing several fights.
Either the promotion or their support group advises them to step away from the cage. But in the worst cases, some UFC fighters retire under depressing circumstances, be they after long losing streaks or suddenly losing the ability to take a punch, culminating in a brutal knockout in front of their family.
#5. Glover Teixeira, former UFC light heavyweight
Glover Teixeira is one of the oldest champions in UFC history, having captured the light heavyweight title at 42. Unfortunately, he failed to defend his title in a Fight of the Year winner against Jiří Procházka, who claimed the title for himself. But after the Czech samurai vacated the title due to injury, Teixeira had another chance.
He faced Jamahal Hill on home soil for the vacant belt. It was announced as the Brazilian's last fight, and he hoped to win the divisional strap in front of his own countrymen after Deiveson Figueiredo had lost his flyweight title to Brandon Moreno in the co-main event.
Instead, Teixeira lost in a fairly convincing fashion. Worse than that, his fellow Brazilians didn't even stay in the stands to listen to his retirement speech in the post-fight interviews. They left, forcing Teixeira to announce his retirement to an almost empty venue after losing a championship bout.
#4. Jorge Masvidal, former UFC welterweight/lightweight
If there's ever been a fighter who has captured lightning in a bolt, it's Jorge Masvidal. 'Gamebred' spent most of his career as a journeyman: reliable but unremarkable. But a string of finishes in 2019 launched him into sudden superstardom as he was crowned the UFC's first BMF champion.
However, he wasn't destined for such heights, losing his next four fights in lopsided fashion, including the first true knockout loss of his career, and to a wrestler that he had previously characterized as pillow-fisted, no less. His final loss, however, was perhaps his most deflating.
After promising a masterpiece, while campaigning for a title shot despite his losing streak, his offense was impotent during the bout. He gassed out in his hometown of Miami, looking lethargic and helpless in one of the least fitting retirement fights for a man who once fancied himself 'The King of Miami.'
#3. Kevin Lee, former UFC welterweight/lightweight
Kevin Lee had one of the most spectacular falls from grace that an elite fighter has ever undergone. Once regarded as a future champion, he was eventually released from the UFC after a 3-5 run in his last 8 fights. He subsequently signed with Eagle FC, where he had a competitive fight with the ghost of Diego Sanchez.
It was one of his most heavily criticized performances and a poor look for a man who once claimed he could beat Khabib Nurmagomedov. But after two years away from the UFC, he was re-signed to the promotion, where he took on Rinat Fakhretdinov at welterweight in a UFC Apex event.
Ahead of his return, Lee was critical about being booked for an Apex event, as he demanded to fight in front of crowds. Unfortunately, when he stepped inside the octagon, he was dropped and choked out within 55 seconds by an unranked welterweight, before announcing his retirement on social media.
#2. Frankie Edgar, former UFC lightweight/featherweight/bantamweight
At one point in time, Frankie Edgar had one of the greatest chins in MMA. He had never been defeated by strikes and was one of the best fighters in the world, with wins over an all-time great like B.J. Penn and a previous title reign as the lightweight champion.
Years later, however, he had moved all the way down to bantamweight, due to the growing size of each generation of fighters he encountered. But even at 135 pounds, 'The Answer,' struggled to find solutions to his issues. He was still too small, and the latter stage of his career was disheartening.
After a successful bantamweight debut, he went on to suffer three consecutive losses, all by knockout. Worse still, his retirement fight was one of those knockouts, which happened with his wife and children in attendance.
#1. Marlon Moraes, former UFC bantamweight
Marlon Moraes has retired twice from MMA, but his first retirement came during the end of his run in the UFC. While he was once a powerful striker with exceptional Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills, a brutal loss to Henry Cejudo seemed to have robbed 'Magic' of his ability to absorb strikes.
He briefly rebounded with a controversial win over José Aldo, but subsequently underwent a massive decline, losing his next four fights via knockout or TKO. Marlon Moraes simply couldn't take a shot anymore, and even he realized it, announcing his retirement after Song Yadong flatlined him within two minutes.
But, Moraes had a competitive itch he could not scratch, so he made his return to MMA months later, this time signing with the PFL. But nothing had changed, as he lost all three of his bouts in his new promotion by TKO before retiring again.
