C. Mendes had an 11-year career in professional MMA. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @chadmendes
The UFC suffered a huge loss in its group of fighters. Chad Mendes, 34 years old, former challenger for the featherweight belt (up to 65,7 kg.) announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 34. The official statement was made on his official Instagram profile in the early hours of Wednesday (10). The athlete had already signaled the possibility of withdrawing from MMA after his defeat to Alexander Volkanovsky, in December of last year.
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“I just wanted to say 'thank you' to all my fans and everyone who watched me fight. With 29 years of competing and 11 in MMA, I feel like it's time for a new chapter in my life. It's been an incredible journey with many life lessons along the way. I feel extremely blessed in my life and I can't wait to see the next chapter. I will continue training as I always have. I am eternally grateful for all the love and support you have shown me. Thank you and let’s continue destroying this place”, Mendes published.
In an interview with 'ESPN', the now former fighter explained why he waited almost eight months to make his departure from the sport official. For Chad, this type of decision cannot be made in the heat of the moment and he needed to reflect calmly to be sure of his ambitions.
“The main reason I didn't say anything sooner was because there were some loose ends I needed to tie up. I wanted to step away for a bit, let everything calm down and make sure my feelings hadn't changed,” said the American.
The break in his career was given after Mendes was defeated by knockout in the fight against Alexander Volkanovsky, the last executioner of the Brazilian José Aldo. On that occasion, Chad was surprised in the second round by the Australian, in the fight that was voted the best of UFC 232.
After the period of reflection, the American concluded that it was, in fact, the right time to leave the sport. For Mendes, the time away only increased his desire for new challenges in life outside of MMA.
“It was the right time for me. I have no regrets. I had incredible situations. I was able to leave college wrestling and join an incredible team. All the guys on 'Team Alpha Male' are like brothers to me. But I always said I would only fight until I was 35. My wife and I talked during my last training period and we knew it would be my last fight”, concluded Chad.
After 11 years of playing professionally, Mendes managed to build a solid career within the sport. The athlete went through a difficult period in the last four years, when he had just two victories in his five fights. The former fighter competed in a total of 21 official fights, recording 17 victories and only four setbacks. Chad has challenged for the UFC featherweight title on three occasions; two against José Aldo and one, for the interim title, against Conor McGregor.
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