Jimi Manuwa declares his retirement, saying, “It’s time to end this chapter.”
After losing by knockout to rising light heavyweight Aleksandar Rakic in the co-main event of UFC Stockholm on Saturday. Jimi Manuwa declared his retirement from mixed martial arts.
Legendary British performer “Posterboy” announced the news on social media, emphasising how his all-action, fan-friendly approach had worn down his body over time.
“I emigrated to London from Nigeria in 1990 when I was 10 years old. My tumultuous adolescent years were packed with battles and life lessons as I grew up in south London. I first learned about the UFC in 2006 when I was 26 years old and was browsing the sports channels late at night. I became a fan right away because warriors like Rampage Jackson, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, and Shogun were some of my favourites,” Manuwa stated.
“Neither I nor I had any plans to ever step foot inside a martial arts gym. When I was 28 years old, I made the decision to compete for the UFC. Although I had no prior martial arts training, I got up off my couch and began training in Muay Thai and BJJ since I was a rough kid from south London. My chaotic existence was immediately given more structure and discipline thanks to martial arts, and I developed into a lot better person as a result.I trained for two weeks before my first professional fight, which I won. I achieved U.K. number 1 status within the first two years, but the UFC was my ultimate destination. I had an 11-0 record with all knockout victories when I turned down the UFC twice before accepting one in 2012.
Manuwa’s opinion on the matter
“I’ve had a terrific martial arts career, but the last four losses have been hard for me to accept because my family has always come first. As part of my fan-loving approach, I’ve delivered a lot of knockouts and suffered a few myself, but it wears on the body and can cause concussions that are invisible to the naked eye. I’ve travelled the world and met many wonderful people along the road, but it’s time to move on to the next chapter because there is life beyond fighting and I feel it’s my duty to contribute more to combat sports, which I adore outside of fighting.
Thank you to @danawhite and the @ufc for giving me the opportunity to show off my skills. I’d also like to thank all of my coaches and training partners who have guided me and taught me along the way. Last but not least, I’d like to express my gratitude to my dear family, who helped make this dream come true.
Manuwa earned a 6-6 record while competing under the UFC’s auspices after signing with the organisation in 2012. The Londoner departs the sport on a four-fight losing streak, having lost to Volkan Oezdemir, Jan Blachowicz, Thiago Santos, and Rakic, as he revealed in his retirement post.
Manuwa was the main attraction at two gatherings in London, a testament to his popularity in the U.K. Alexander Gustafsson, a fellow recently retired light heavyweight, was the opponent in his first major match in the English city, which he lost. In March 2017, he defeated Corey Anderson in the first round of his subsequent London main event.
