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The UFC has seen its fair share of moving retirements over the years, as host to a sport which pushes its athletes to the limit both emotionally and physically.
Fighters often hang on for too long past their prime, inflicting serious damage on their health and well-being. So much so that when they retire, their decision is met with an outpouring of relief. At the other end of the spectrum, a few fighters have been smart about their decision to hang up their gloves by walking away at exactly the right time.
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Fighters of both types find themselves mentioned in this article. Here, we take a look at the five most emotional retirements in UFC history.
Honorable Mentions: Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Urijah Faber, Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza, Rashad Evans
#5 Former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier is arguably one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time and definitely one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time. But despite his immense accomplishments in the UFC, DC retired on a sour note, with many fans of the opinion that his legacy was severely diminished by the end of his career.
Although Cormier was comprehensively beaten by Jon Jones in both their meetings, 'Bones' testing positive for a banned substance saw the result of the second fight overturned. And when DC faced off against Stipe Miocic for the first time in July 2018, he clinched the heavyweight title and status as a two-division champion.
Cormier was well on his way to being a frontrunner in the GOAT conversation, having lost only to a fighter with a sketchy history in Jones. But everything came crashing down in his last two fights, where he lost to Miocic twice in the span of a year to end his career in disappointing fashion.
Cormier's trilogy against Miocic was expected to provide him with a chance to ride off into the sunset. But after a few eyepokes and a convincing defeat, the California native was reduced to tears.
#4 Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson
Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson isn't retired anymore. He recently notched up a comeback win over Jose Augusto in his first fight in over four years and is slated to face Ryan Bader at Bellator 268 in October.
However, when 'Rumble' chose to walk away from the UFC back in April 2017, his decision was met with an outpouring of emotion. After falling to Daniel Cormier for the second time in a light heavyweight title fight, employing some bizarre tactics in the process, the Florida native decided that he had had enough.
Tearfully announcing his retirement from the sport, 'Rumble' cut a sorry figure, especially for someone who is renowned for his impressive knockout power. He had fallen short at the final hurdle twice, both times to Cormier, and seemed like he'd never recover.
But now, Johnson seems to have found motivation in a welcome sight for MMA fans.
#3 Former UFC fighter Brad Pickett
Brad Pickett was never the best UFC fighter. In fact, with only five wins in 14 UFC fights, he was probably among the least talented fighters on the roster. However, Pickett was a massive fan favorite because of his toughness and willingness to put on a fight.
'One Punch' had one final chance to leave on a high when he faced Marlon Vera in his hometown of London, England in March 2017. And after appearing to be cruising to a decision victory, Pickett saw his world turned upside down when 'Chito' landed a flush head kick and followed it up with some serious ground-and-pound.
Pickett's farewell ended in disappointment, and the sight of him thanking his fans and leaving his hat in the octagon was beyond emotional.
#2 Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping had a long and fulfilling career in the UFC. He owns several incredible promotional records and clinched the middleweight title after years of near misses by knocking out Luke Rockhold in January 2016.
But the way Bisping's career wound down was saddening. He struggled with vision issues that started when he fought Vitor Belfort in January 2013, even memorizing the eyesight chart's letters in order to pass the commission's health and safety tests.
After Georges St-Pierre choked out Bisping to clinch the middleweight title in November 2017, the time seemed ripe for 'The Count' to walk away from the sport. In fact, he had been expected to retire even earlier. But he refused to walk away from the sport he loves, and took on Kelvin Gastelum just 21 days after losing to GSP.
Bisping was viciously knocked out by Gastelum and would never fight again. He announced his retirement in May 2018, saying that he had started facing issues with his good eye as well.
An MMA legend like Bisping deserved a meaningful farewell, and it was heartbreaking to see him retire on the back of two painful losses so close together.
#1 Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov
While the others on this list were arguably past their prime when they retired, Khabib Nurmagomedov just seemed to be getting started. 'The Eagle' had defended his lightweight title for the third time against Justin Gaethje in October 2020 and had several years left at the top level.
But Khabib, who had lost his father in July 2020, chose to walk away from the sport while still on top. He insisted that he couldn't compete again without his father and spoke about honoring a promise he made to his mother.
The Dagestan-born fighter is one of the greatest of all time and retired undefeated, but the sight of him weeping in the octagon with no fans in attendance struck a nerve. Khabib has often been linked to a comeback, but he appears to be well and truly retired. And while his MMA career is unmatchable in its own right, his retirement was immensely sad.
