This weekend will see the illustrious career of Daniel Cormier seemingly end. DC is one of the greatest to ever step into the octagon and, win or lose, his retirement is guaranteed to be an emotional one. With that being said, The MMA Mindset decided to take a look at five of the most heart-wrenching retirements in MMA history.
Randy Couture
Randy Couture was without a doubt a fan favourite. He warmed the hearts of MMA fans everywhere, and was what many considered to be the face of the sport for a time. "The Natural" had so many great moments in his unbelievable career, but my personal favourite and a stand out moment was when he overcame the odds against Tim Sylvia. Randy came into this fight a whopping 13 years older than his opponent, and was also a massive underdog. But he did it. This is what everybody loved about Randy Couture.
The NCAA Division 1 wrestler last entered the cage at UFC 129 against Lyoto Machida. He was famously front-kicked in the face and knocked unconscious in the second round. It was a bitter sweet moment for fans. On one hand, one of the most pivotal figures in MMA had just been finished in his retirement bout, on the other, he handled the entire process with class and dignity and simply did not see himself at the top of the sport anymore.
A perfectly timed retirement, from an absolute legend.
Ben Askren
Okay, so hear me out. By no stretch of the imagination am I comparing Ben Askren's MMA career to anybody's on this list. This is more of a personal one for me, and I don't believe I am alone, it left me thinking "what if?". "Funky" was one of the most anticipated arrivals in UFC history. The amount of hype he stirred up straight from the off is like nothing we have ever seen to this day.
So his UFC career wasn't great, I'll admit that. But you would struggle to deny that there were so many exciting potential match-ups to be made. His trash-talk was witty, quick and dry. Not a legend of the sport, but it seemed such a waste of hype and talent for it all to end so suddenly. It was after losing via submission to Demian Maia (nothing to be ashamed of), that Askren decided enough was enough and hung up the gloves.
What if?
Brad Pickett
If we ever did a list on popular fighters who were never champions, Brad "One Punch" Pickett would undoubtedly be on that list. Pickett went 5-9 in his UFC career, yet I am yet to meet someone who does not like this man. Every time he entered the Octagon, you knew you were in for a blood and guts war. This one has more to do with HOW it ended.
The London-born fighter went into his retirement fight with Marlon Vera at UFC Fight Night 107 on a two fight skid. Many were expecting Pickett to fall at the hands of the much younger Vera, however the Englishman controlled the fight for 14 minutes, before unfortunately being KO'd by a head kick with a minute to go.
In his post-fight interview, Brad was incredibly self-aware and admitted that he simply couldn't take shots like he used to anymore. He wished the night ended in a different way, but he was not bitter about it, and showed the same class he did through-out his career.
Truly a pioneer of British MMA, and an absolute warrior.
Chuck Liddell
So this one hurts. Imagine this; you have this picture of the ultimate tough guy, an absolute warrior with no regard for anyone else's well-being. You feel as though he could beat the s**t out of Godzilla himself. Got it? Good. Now, imagine watching said man be knocked-out cold three times in a row in front of your very eyes. Sucks, right?
For 6 years Chuck Liddell was one of the "poster boys" of MMA. A true representation of what an MMA fighter should look like to most people. His fan-friendly style and his mean stare won over near enough every single MMA fan in the world. "The Iceman" defeated almost everyone in his path with vicious power and lightning fast hands. At one point, he was considered the scariest and most dangerous man in MMA.
However, in heartbreaking fashion Liddell's career quickly plummeted, and it seems he jumped before he was pushed. Dana White considered Chuck a good friend, and expressed concerns about his health late on in his career. After being finished by Rich Franklin, enough was enough. At a UFC press conference, UFC president Dana White announced that the former UFC light heavyweight champion was to retire, and join the executive board. After a truly tear-jerking speech from The Iceman, and tears from a man I never thought had the ability to do so, that was it...
Until... never mind, we don't talk about that.
Mirko Cro Cop
Mirko Cro Cop's UFC career left a lot to be desired. But his contribution and stature in the MMA world should never be underestimated. One of the most popular and devastating fighters in Pride, he tore through competition such as Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and Wanderlei Silva.
The Croatian kick-boxer had a head kick that would shut anyone's lights out, and had such calmness that is was borderline terrifying. His arrival to the UFC was much anticipated, and after he KO'd Eddie Sanchez early into his UFC debut, the heavyweight division was put on notice.
In what was supposed to be Mirko's final fight before the inevitable title-shot, Gonzaga shocked the world by finishing the former Pride Grand Prix winner with, you guessed it, a head kick. Many thought that this was the end of Cro Cop's legacy, but they were deadly wrong.
The kick-boxer went on to win a K1 World Grand Prix, win a title in Rizin, and sign for Bellator. No, this wasn't a case of retiring due to being in your mid 40s, or simply not having the skills to compete at a top level anymore. This was a matter of life or death. In 2019, Mirko Cro Cop suffered from a stroke, and was told by doctors that anymore brain trauma could leave him paralysed, or even dead.
He made his emotional retirement on Croatian TV, and showed true feelings for what was seemingly the first time in his career. What a killer.
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