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A UFC Hall of Famer has expressed his appreciation for Ed Herman and Zak Cummings after their double retirement. The Herman-Cummings light heavyweight bout transpired at the UFC Kansas City event at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, on April 15, 2023.
The fight witnessed Cummings defeat Herman via third-round TKO. Heading into the matchup, Cummings had confirmed that it'd be his final MMA fight. As expected, he announced his retirement after the fight.
Additionally, Herman too proceeded to announce his MMA retirement after the bout. Many in the MMA community subsequently paid their respects to the veteran fighters.
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping addressed the double retirement in a recent edition of his Believe You Me podcast and gave both fighters "a special shout-out."
The Hall of Famer alluded to the fact that he competed in the light heavyweight tournament in season 3 of the TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) reality show, while Herman fought in the season's middleweight tournament.
Michael Bisping indicated that he announced his MMA retirement in 2018, whereas Ed Herman retired last Saturday (April 15, 2023). The 44-year-old Bisping acknowledged that the 42-year-old Herman is a tad younger than him. Regardless, praising Herman's longevity in the sport, 'The Count' stated:
"I mean, talk about staying power. I mean, of course, he's younger than me. But what a career -- And, you know, wins and losses along the way. But then, Ed Herman's a real-life tough guy. You know what I mean? He really is. Still in there at his age, going strong. Alright, he had a tough night at the office."
Furthermore, Michael Bisping similarly lauded the 38-year-old Zak Cummings for his longevity in the MMA realm. Bisping said:
"Zak Cummings, he retired as well. Yeah, double retirement. He had the best performance, I think, of his career on his retirement night in his hometown. And it was the first time that his daughter ever got to come see him fight. So, from that regard, it was beautiful. And I think for both men, congratulations on a great career."
Watch Bisping discuss the topic at 29:10 in the video below:
A closer look at UFC Kansas City fighters Ed Herman and Zak Cummings
Portland native Ed Herman made his professional MMA debut in May 2003 and had his maiden UFC fight in June 2006. His MMA record stands at 26 wins, 16 losses, and 1 NC (No Contest).
Moreover, when Herman announced his MMA retirement earlier this month, he held the distinction of being the fighter with the longest uninterrupted UFC tenure, having been with the company since June 2006.
Watch Herman's retirement speech below:
Meanwhile, Kansas City's own Zak Cummings debuted in the sport of professional MMA back in November 2007 and had his first UFC fight in August 2013. Cummings boasts an MMA record of 25 victories and 7 defeats. Moreover, Cummings' final MMA bout against Herman at the Kansas City event marked the very first time that the former competed in the light heavyweight division.
Watch Cummings' retirement speech below:
