UFC fighter Uriah Hall has announced that he is retiring from the sport at 38-years-old.
Hall made the decision a little over a month after he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Andre Muniz at UFC 276. The defeat had been his second in a row, having also lost out on the scorecards to Sean Strickland a year earlier.
“It is with great sadness that I will be stepping away from the greatest sport in the world,” Hall wrote on his Instagram page. “I’m going to miss the incredible UFC staff that has became like family and the mentors I have met along the way. The UFC has given me the best opportunity to step completely outside my comfort zone.
“Throughout the years I’ve gone up against some of the best in the world at the highest level. Although I did not achieve the rank of world champion I’ve acquired some of my greatest achievements from mixed martial arts and that was facing my fears and being a champion in life.
“I want to thank the incredible fans, you guys made the sport what it is today,” he wrote. “It is important to have the right people around you that care for you and encourage you to become a better version of yourself. I want to thank my team my coaches my friends and my family always standing by me. You all have been the driving force that encouraged me daily.
“Lastly, I want to specifically thank Dana White for giving me the opportunity to collide with modern day gladiators. Thank you for always supporting me thru the good and the bad… To the next generation, you are the top 1% greatest athletes on the planet. Will be a pleasure to watch where you all take this sport from here. I will be watching! Goforth.”
At the time of his announcement Hall was still holding the No.12 spot on the middleweight rankings, as prior to his recent two losses he had actually been enjoying his best run in the promotion with four wins in a row over the likes of Chris Weidman, Anderson Silva, Antonio Carlos Junior and Bevon Lewis.
Hall also came in runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter season 17 and holds other notable wins over the likes of Gegard Mousasi, Thiago Silva and Chris Leben. He bows out of the sport with an overall 17-11 record.
