Jack Shore looked to be the next big thing when he made his UFC debut.
'Tank' joined MMA's premier promotion after amassing an impressive 11-0 record, winning the bantamweight title from the Cage Warriors and defending it with back-to-back wins over two tough opponents.
Nohelin Hernandez was Jack Shore's first UFC foe. The 10-3 fighter came up short in his UFC debut, but his defeat to Marlon 'Chito' Vera has aged well as the Ecuadorian has since proven himself to be one of the best 135-pound fighters in the world.
Shore vs Hernandez kicked off a UFC card on September 29, 2019 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Jack Shore's dream comes to life in the UFC
Jack Shore was completely dominant while wrestling Nohelin Hernandez at UFC Copenhagen
The proud Welshman defeated his opponent in the first and second rounds before closing the show in the third frame.
Shore locked in a super-tight rear-naked choke to force Hernandez to tap out and live up to his pre-fight billing from Dana White, who called him “the hottest prospect out of Britain.”
The UFC boss celebrated his match on social media before giving Shore a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
“I'm over the moon. It's a dream start in the UFC,” he said after the fight.
“I'm known as a finisher and I wanted to let everyone know my intentions. I have trained harder and prepared better than ever for this fight. To get a win like that was a dream come true.”
Shore kept his dream start in the UFC going with three more wins that made him a potential contender. Unfortunately, Ricky Simon submitted the 29-year-old and derailed his hype train in July 2022.
A weight gain led to a win over Makwan Amirkhani, but since then Shore has suffered two consecutive losses, including a recent defeat to Youssef Zalal, which prompted him to announce his premature retirement from fighting.
Jack Shore is retiring
On Wednesday, Jack Shore released a lengthy statement on social media about his martial arts career.
'Tank' revealed that his UFC contract has expired. There was an option to re-sign with MMA's premier league, but he has decided to focus on other things in the future.
“Hi guys, it's been quiet for a while, enjoying time with my friends and family,” Shore wrote on Instagram.
“In what may come as a surprise to some, I have decided to end my professional fighting career. After fighting out my contract and taking some time to think about the future, it is clear to me that my time fighting professionally is up.
“Although I had the opportunity to re-sign with UFC, I have decided that my days are over. I want to thank the UFC for letting me fulfill my childhood dream of fighting for the greatest organization in the world and against some of the best in the world. I enjoyed every minute!
“What started as a kid with a dream led me to amateur titles, world titles and realizing my dream of fighting in the UFC. I can truly say that for every fight I gave the training and the fights my all, never said no, never asked questions, just kept my head down, stayed true to myself and achieved more than I ever thought possible had kept.
“Throughout my twenties, fighting and training was my life and sole focus, but the last few weeks/months have shown that this is no longer the case. And I always promised myself that if my mentality was examined, I would retire instead of the sport making me retire. Injuries have caught up with me after a lifetime in the sport. I leave with my mental condition, good health, financially stable and fully ready to move into the future.”
Related posts
Comments