MMA is usually thought of a younger man’s sport. When the injury accumulates, and the reflexes fade, it’s normally an indication to hold up the gloves.
Decade-long UFC careers are a rarity, usually reserved for all-time-greats like Jon Jones, Max Holloway, or Jose Aldo. However what in regards to the unsung fighters who by no means break large? Those who commerce wins and losses, flying underneath the radar whereas grinding out careers within the hardest promotion on the earth?
On January 7, we noticed the retirement of perennial bantamweight contender Kyung-ho Kang after 12 years contained in the UFC.
MMA veteran Kyung-ho Kang broadcasts retirement with heartfelt publish
In an Instagram Reel on January 8, Kang introduced that he had ended his contract with the UFC.
“It’s been a very long time since I first signed with the UFC in 2021 and it ends in 2025,” He wrote. “However after I look again, it’s gone like a second.
“… Once you enter a cage that matches your concern, if you hear the cheers of the viewers, your concern turns into pleasure… You’re feeling pissed off if you lose [the feeling] can’t get replaced by something. … I did my finest, so I’ve no regrets. Thanks very a lot to the followers who’ve laughed and cried with me.”
A glance again on Kyung-ho Kang’s UFC profession
Kang made his UFC debut in 2013, following a string of back-to-back-to-back submission victories that earned him the Street FC bantamweight title. He confronted Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres, who was 8-5 on the time, in his first UFC bout. Caceres would go on to develop into a mainstay within the UFC.
Caceres received a decent break up resolution, which was overturned to a no-contest after testing optimistic for marijuana. Kang then misplaced one other resolution to the underrated Chico Camus at UFC 164.
Not discouraged by the loss, Kang picked up a two-fight profitable streak over veteran Shunichi Shimizu and the undefeated Michinori Tanaka earlier than taking a two-year hiatus to serve his obligatory South Korean army service. Upon returning in 2017, he defeated fierce striker Guido Cannetti.
All through his profession, Kang dropped losses in high-profile bouts in opposition to Ricardo Ramos, Rani Yahya, John Castaneda, and Muin Gafurov. ‘Mr. Excellent’ retired on the again of his first-ever UFC shedding streak, with an MMA file of 19-11(1NC) and a UFC file of 8-5(1NC).
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