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Farewell

Immediately after getting his first UFC win, fighter announces retirement at 26

“I’m done putting my family and my body through all this.”

UFC Fight Night Boston Frankie Perez announced his retirement from MMA last night. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

MAX HOLLOWAY’S ANTI-CLIMACTIC win over Charles Oliveira wasn’t the only unusual occurrence last night at UFC Fight Night 74 in Saskatoon.

After taking just 54 seconds to defeat Sam Stout via a very emphatic TKO, Frankie Perez was interviewed in the octagon by the UFC’s Jon Anik.

However, what Anik wasn’t expecting was a retirement announcement from a 26-year-old fighter who had just picked up his very first UFC win just seconds earlier.

Perez, who lost his UFC debut to Johnny Case in January, said: “This is my first win in the UFC… and my last. I’m done after this. I brought my dreams to come true and I’m ready for the next chapter in my life. I’m done putting my family and my body through this.”

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Perez later told MMAjunkie that he still intends to train but is looking forward to spending more time with his family and focusing on some other business interests.

Afterwards, UFC middleweight Michael Bisping was criticial of Perez during FOX Sports’ coverage of the event. The English veteran was appearing on the show as a pundit alongside former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.

Bisping: “No offence to Frankie Perez because I don’t know the guy, and I’m sure he’s a very charming individual and a good person, but if he retired after knocking someone out in his second UFC [fight], I would say he hasn’t got the cajones to really be in this sport.”

However, Perez didn’t seem too bothered by Bisping’s comments. He said: “Bisping’s a clown so it ain’t no big deal about that. Words don’t get to me, but you know what it is? I’m just choosing my family over this sport. I love this sport, but it was just time.”

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