“I’m gonna be around for a while” - Denis Puric quashes retirement talks, says he’s ‘going nowhere’

Despite being 39 years old, retirement is the furthest thing from Denis Puric's mind.

After winning three of his last four in the art of eight limbs—including an impressive second-round knockout of Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat—Puric scored himself the opportunity to share the Circle with one of the greatest strikers on the planet, Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Squaring off inside the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok at ONE 167, 'The Bosnian Menace' gave Rodtang a real run for his money. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as 'The Iron Man' secured a unanimous decision victory over Puric.

Still, Puric's performance was more than enough to warrant a shot at Rodtang's ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title later on down the line. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but don't expect to see 'The Bosnian Menace' fade away into retirement before that night comes—or anytime soon for that matter.

"Man, I’m gonna be around for a while, don’t worry," Puric told Sportskeeda MMA. "You’re gonna see a lot more of me. Trust me. I’m going nowhere. I feel good man, like I said, I got this nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach who just bought another 20 years to my fighting career. So, we’re going nowhere."

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Denis Puric wants credit where credit is due following Rodtang fight

Though he came up short on the scorecards, Denis Puric's performance against Rodtang was nothing short of impressive. Not only did he take 'The Iron Man' to the limit, but he was more than willing to stand his ground and trade blow-for-blow with one of ONE's most formidable strikers.

That alone is impressive, but the fact that Puric did it at 39 years old deserves an acknowledgment that, thus far, he believes he's not receiving from pundits.

"We obviously put on the fight of the night, right? Nobody said, 'Hey, Denis came in and threw at 39 years old.' Look, I've never missed weight in my life, okay? Never in my career," Puric added. "So, at least, I'd have appreciated it if they acknowledged me."

"Hey, if you're going to talk about Rodtang and say if you want to be the best, how about look at Denis, he's 39, still making weight, you know? I got 13 years on Rodtang."

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 167 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.