Ana Julaton retires from combat sports
Surprisingly, this morning on social media boxing and MMA competitor Ana Julaton announced her retirement from combat sports. The announcement means that the boxing bout between her and Heather Hardy will not be happening later this year as it was originally announced. Both she and Hardy faced each other at Bellator 194 last February where Hardy earned the decision win.
Julaton went 14-4-1 in boxing and 2-4 in MMA where she competed in both One FC and Bellator MMA. She won the Women’s WBO Super Bantamweight and IBA Super Bantamweight titles before transitioning to MMA in 2014.
Julaton, Hardy, and Holly Holm were one of first high profile female boxers making the move to compete in mixed martial arts and started the trend where female fighters get higher exposure than the sport they began their combat sports career in. “As a competitor inside the ring and cage, I’m confident in leaving combat sports fully knowing there are so many wonderful, passionate and hardworking women continuing to carry the torch as a guiding light for the bright future of our arena,” said Julaton in her post.
One thing Julaton shares with Hardy and the other crossover competitors in their company is that they made the move into MMA humbly and made it a point to absorb the new landscape and work their way up as they grew their skillset. With all the trolling that has come from the Mayweather vs. McGregor hype in going back and forth between sports, ladies like Julaton have set a good example.
Hardy responded to the announcement with a post of her own , thanking her for “lighting the way and giving her a cause to fight for.”
See Hardy’s heartfelt post below:
