List of Former UFC Champions, Legends and More Who Hung Up the Gloves
Nowadays, the fighters from that era who helped make the sport so popular are starting to fade away.
MMA is an ever-evolving sport with fighters constantly being updated. Nowadays, the fighters from that era who helped make the sport so popular are starting to walk away and hang up their gloves to move on to the next chapter in life.
If there's one thing that's well known about combat sports retirements, it's that they often don't last long. The desire to compete and, perhaps more importantly, to get paid will continue to bring fighters back even after their expiration date.
2023 is already seeing a surge in notable fighters announcing they are done with the sport. Here is a list of those who decided to leave this year.
1. Leah Letson
MMA Debut Date: November 22, 2014
Retirement date: January 9, 2023
Age: 30
Record: 5-2
Notable win: Yulia Stolyarenko
2. Claudio Silva
MMA Debut Date: November 10, 2007
Retirement date: January 16, 2023
Age: 40
Record: 14-4
Notable Wins: Leon Edwards, Nordin Taleb, Danny Roberts
3. Mauricio Rua
MMA Debut Date: November 8, 2002
Retirement date: January 21, 2023
Age: 41
Record: 27-14-1
Notable wins: Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin, Alistair Overeem, Quinton Jackson
4. Glover Teixeira
MMA Debut Date: June 7, 2002
Retirement date: January 21, 2023
Age: 43
Record: 33-9
Notable wins: Jan Blachowicz, Quinton Jackson, Anthony Smith
5. Fedor Emelianenko
MMA Debut Date: May 21, 2000
Retirement date: February 4, 2023
Age: 46
Notable victories:
Record: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Kevin Randleman, Mirko Cro Cop, Frank Mir, Chael Sonnen, Quinton Jackson
6. Lina Lansberg
MMA Debut Date: December 29, 2012
Retirement date: February 19, 2023
Age: 40
Record: 10-8
Notable wins: Maisie Chiasson, Tonya Evinger
7. George Sullivan
MMA Debut Date: February 11, 2006
Retirement date: March 3, 2023
Age: 41
Record: 18-8
Notable Wins: Greg Soto, Julian Lane, Mike Rhodes, Igor Araujo
8. Benson Henderson
MMA Debut Date: November 18, 2006
Retirement Date: March 10, 2023
Age: 39
Record: 30-12
Notable wins: Donald Cerrone (twice), Jim Miller, Clay Guida, Frankie Edgar (twice), Nate Diaz, Gilbert Melendez, Patricio Freire.
9. Rafael Assuncao
MMA Debut Date: January 23, 2004
Retirement date: March 11, 2023
Age: 40
Record: 28-10
Notable Wins: Jorge Masvidal, Joe Lauzon, T.J. Dillashaw, Aljaman Sterling, Marlon Moraes
10 Stephen Peterson
MMA Debut Date: August 4, 2010
Retirement date: March 25, 2023
Age: 32
Record: 19-11
Notable wins: Chase Hooper
11. John Salter
MMA Debut Date: March 27, 2009
Retirement Date: March 31, 2023
Age: 38
Record: 19-6
Notable wins: Dustin Jacoby, Kendall Grove, Chidi Njokuani.