Dennis Bermudez announces retirement from MMA
Dennis Bermudez left his gloves in the center of the Octagon signaling this was the end.
Bermudez moved up to lightweight for this fight and took on Te Edwards in which he won the fight by unanimous decision. He snapped a four-fight losing streak and looked good doing so. However, it turned out this would be the last time Bermudez would step into the Octagon, as he announced his retirement following the win.
What an amazing career, @MenaceBermudez.
What better place than to end it in his home state of New York? Thank you, Dennis! #UFCBrooklyn pic.twitter.com/xzCD5GVPst
— UFC (@ufc) January 20, 2019
“Yeah, man, it is,” an emotional Bermudez said after the fight when he was asked if he was retiring. “It is. It’s pretty awesome that I get to do it here in New York. I’ve been through some stuff and I thought about hanging up the gloves after those four losses in a row and I want my kids to look back at this, and even though I went through adversity, I finished on top.
“My uncle has cancer,” Bermudez continued. “He’s not doing well, this is what us Bermudez boys do. When we’re down and out, we come back, get it done. We win.”
Before the fight, though, it appeared Bermudez was certain he was done if he had lost. But, he won, which was more surprising that he retired.
“If I had lost, it was definitely going to be my last fight,” he said to Sherdog. “I doubt they’d sign me back after a five-fight losing streak. I pushed myself really hard and have been competing since I was in seventh grade, I have two little boys at home. The fight game’s tough and I want to be able to see my grandchildren grow up. I just want to take care of myself now. It feels nice to go out on my terms.”
In the end, Bermudez goes out on top and ends a legend in the sport. He ends his MMA career with a record of 17-9. He first fought in the UFC in 2011 and had 17 fights inside the Octagon. The 32-year-old has notable wins over the likes of current UFC featherweight champion, Max Holloway, Clay Guida, Pablo Garza, and Matt Grice among others.
