The BEST retirements in MMA history

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@plutonium
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I used to think Chris Lytle was the gold standard, going out with a win on a big stage (for the time) in a headliner, nabbed a finish in an absolute classic and walked out having gone from UFC reject to a fan favorite through TUF - ended his career as one of the most bonus recieving fighters ever, to a full time career as a firefighter (always his passion)

Uriah Faber eclipsed that
Not a headliner, but the obvious draw along with Paige for the live audience. Put on a great show, won comfortably against another aging opponent, but one who wasn't 100% shot yet and could still give any prospect a decent test. He goes out having put the lightweight classes on the map along with Miguel Torres, two fights removed from a shitle tot, is the manager of a bunch of fighters and if he wants has the image, voice and temperament to work for the new WME-IMG regime (already a buisness partner with the UFC in a few ways)

Is there anything better?

I always feel Silva should have retired in brazil when he beat Bonnar, that would have been better than everything
 
Nah. Uriah's was good and all but it's next to impossible to top Lytle's. If Hendo had knocked out Bisping, that would have been the ultimate retirement though
 
I enjoyed the Lytle match for the record, but I pick that one
 
ept_sports_mma_experts-335552953-1276404877.jpg
 
I find this overromanticised notion of retiring on top to be quite unrealistic and also tiresome.
 
I find this overromanticised notion of retiring on top to be quite unrealistic and also tiresome.
Tiressome, that's on you

Unrealistic? Obviously. That's why it's worth discussing when someone retires relatively close to that. Not everyone likes seeing guys retire because they're broken and can't do it anymore.
 
Faber bless. Warrior and pioneer.

The Dom, out of all people, said it best.

“To be perfectly honest, the guy started this sport in the lighter weight class,” Cruz said. “When I first started this thing, there was only 155-pounders and up. And because he had a good following in Sacramento, that whole town got behind him, he was able to get people to show up to the shows and be able to make a run for the lighter weight classes. Without him, without a star, an early star in the early days in this sport, the lighter weight classes might not have been made. That’s the truth."
 
I find this overromanticised notion of retiring on top to be quite unrealistic and also tiresome.

You probably hated losing your virginity:
 
Randy's retirement fight - if you don't win at least create an epic highlight:

Front-Kick-KO.gif
 
Those are good examples. GSP got a pretty good one (if it was his last fight... still remains to be seen, of course). He won a very controversial decision, but he walked off with the belt. Doesn't get much better than that.

But MMA is rife with prime retirement opportunities that got wasted. Hendo's win over Lombard was a spectacular KO, in front of an adoring hometown crowd, with his family cage side. That would've been PERFECT. But you can't really blame him for chasing Bisping when he got the chance.

I also think Big Nog should've retired after starching Schaub in Brazil. That would've be a fucking stellar end to a great career.
 
Nah. Uriah's was good and all but it's next to impossible to top Lytle's. If Hendo had knocked out Bisping, that would have been the ultimate retirement though
I enjoyed the Lytle match for the record, but I pick that one
<mma4>
Hard to beat Lytle's on sheer enjoyment
I love a guy who rides off in front of their home crowd though, I'm a sucker for that shit
 
Phillip Miller
 
Phillip Miller GOAT

Edit: beaten by a second
 
Those are good examples. GSP got a pretty good one (if it was his last fight... still remains to be seen, of course). He won a very controversial decision, but he walked off with the belt. Doesn't get much better than that.
The controversy was less than ideal, but the fact is of all of the people we discuss as GOAT's today he is the only one that walked away with his belt. For the record too for any of the new fans that weren't on the board at the time, rumors were very strong that he was going to retire after that fight months before it happened, so he didn't just retire to avoid a rematch.
 
Fedor in Russia fighting Rizzo with his family ringside was really beautiful until he had to go and fucking ruin it
 
MARK MUNOZ's was perfect.

In the Philippeans. Gets the win. The interviewer gave him the mic which I thought was really nice. Perfect speech. And great final imagery of him leaving the gloves in the octagon (faber should have done that).
 
Nah, the dude had an existential crisis and quit the sport. Good for him that he went out on top, sure. That's all you can say about it
And he missed out on all the Reebok monies
 
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