Whats the longest layoff an MMA fighter has come back from?

[shinobimusashi]

Im aware of some boxers that came back after 16-20 years but MMA is roughly only 31 years old much younger sport. What are the longest layoffs that fighters have come back from in the sport?

 

[David R]

Congats to DWCS Yuneisy Duben she just got into the UFC had a 4 years of being gone from competing. Yes there are longer layoffs but I am too lazy to do your research.

 

[thecoldbloodedone]

I took a few losses and then came back 7 years later to win first round KO against an international opponent.
Had to retire again not long after though.
Training camps are rougher on the body than fights themselves.

 

[Elvis.]

Pat Miletich has a 15 year break between fights

 

[shinobimusashi]

I took a few losses and then came back 7 years later to win first round KO against an international opponent.
Had to retire again not long after though.
Training camps are rougher on the body than fights themselves.

Thats awesome man thats a long layoff

 

[shinobimusashi]

Pat Miletich has a 15 year break between fights

I just seen that one, was looking at Marco Ruas remembering he had an IFL fight after like 6 years out and remembered Militich fight vs Renzo after years long layoff, when I checked his record was surprised to see he fought in 2023 after 15 years out. That has to be the biggest layoff in MMA. Just dont see the big 15+ year comebacks in MMA because A. The sport hasnt been around very long and B. How crazy fast it evolved, think about the OG’s from 95-96-97 for a comeback 15 years later would put them coming back in 2010-2011-2012 when it was completely different sport, guys from pre-TUF era coming back in 2019-2020-2021, guys from 2007-2008 coming back in 2023-2024 you just do not see it.

 

[Van Daz]

Bas Rutten had 7 years off before last fight. Not the longest, but still a long time. Even though he had Ruben as they last fight. Just remember him chopping him down with leg kicks.

 

[shinobimusashi]

I found this list for boxing on a forum post from 2004:

Doc Odum 22 yrs. 11 mos. Dentist comes back at age 46 after 1 bout in 1956
Freddy DeKerpel 21 yrs. 3 mos. Belgian heavy returns in draw against Coopman
Levi Forte (?)confirm? 20 yrs., 10 mos. Former Floyd Patterson foe returns in 4-round loss
Jerry Evans 20 LH Contender – to be checked
Jean-Pierre Coopman 18 yrs. Former Ali opponent returns against DeKerpel
Bobby Halpern 18 yrs. Clubfighter returned after prison stretch
Carlos Palomino 17 yrs. 6 mos. Former welter champ went 4-1
Kenny Lane 16 yrs., 9 mos. Perennial lightweight contender returned at age 50
Tony Ayala 16 yrs., 9 mos. Rapist went 5-1 before being arrested again
Fred Houpe 16 yrs. 5 mos. Somehow gets licensed after being retired - blind in one eye

Not really much info like this for MMA comebacks though, Ruas 6 years, Rutten 7 years, Miletich 15 years seem to be the big ones and our fellow Sherdoger in this thread coming back after 7 years is impressive. Any fight aficianados here can think of any others? Maybe in Japan?

 

[shinobimusashi]

Add Renzo Gracie to the list, over 8 years from his loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 112 in 2010 to his win over Yuki Kondo in Japan in 2018, damn I'd like to see that fight.

 

[shinobimusashi]

And bonus holy shit factor from looking that fight up, Yuki Kondo fought at least a few times every single year from 1996 to 2023, 114 fights

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Chuck Liddell had a 8 year layoff when he came back to get destroyed by Tito Ortiz.

Kimbo took a 5 year hiatus to do boxing.



I don't think they should really count since it's not their "career", but a few professional kickboxers have had like 1 or 2 fights, then come back a million years later. Peireira did that as well, but like I said, 1 fight isn't really a career to come back to.

 

[Bobby Boulders]

Add Renzo Gracie to the list, over 8 years from his loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 112 in 2010 to his win over Yuki Kondo in Japan in 2018, damn I'd like to see that fight.

 

[Bobby Boulders]

Fred Ettish fought at UFC 2, in 1994, then came back for a one off for a small promotion in 2009. And won. Against a guy who lost his next seven fights, boasting an overall record to 0-8.

 

[shinobimusashi]

Youre the man!

 

[shinobimusashi]

I remember going to the Shamrock vs Gracie III fight in Houston in 2016 and randomly running into Mark Hall in the lobby of the Toyota Center wearing his own shirt that had to have been from like 1996. He was talking about trying to make a comeback to fight Shamrock, he never fought but that would have been a 19-20 year layoff in between fights. I imagine that fight had a lot of old timers wanting to make a comeback that year. I always liked Hall on those old UFC tapes as a kid and he was super nice guy that night, that was the highlight of that whole weekend/show actually the fights sucked. I seen a guy wearing a 1996 Mark Hall "The Cobra" shirt and went to compliment him about it and he turned around and it actually was Mark Hall lol, too awesome.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Bryce Meredith's opponent on the Bellator card in Saturday is coming off a 12 year layoff.

 

[Feniamin]

Gregory Bouchelaghem - took time off from December of 2006 to July of 2023.

 

[Feniamin]

Petr Romankevich first mma fight in 2010, second in 2020
Datsik - no mma fights from 2006 to 2019
Ben Dandois stopped from October of 2006 to November of 2014

 

[Feniamin]

Bagama Nikabagamaev - from 2013 to 2022, was in prison it seems

 

[TRVITMVNZ]

Nick Diaz burned his prime away