MMA is often considered a sport for young men. When damage accumulates and reflexes fade, it's usually a sign to hang up the gloves.
Decade-long UFC careers are a rarity, usually reserved for all-time greats like Jon Jones, Max Holloway or Jose Aldo. But what about the unsung warriors who never make it big? The ones who trade wins and losses, flying under the radar while carving out a career in the toughest promotion in the world?
On January 7, we saw the retirement of perennial bantamweight contender Kyung-ho Kang after 12 years in the UFC.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
MMA veteran Kyung-ho Kang announces his retirement with a heartfelt post
In an Instagram reel on January 8, Kang announced that he had terminated his contract with the UFC.
“It's been a long time since I first signed with the UFC in 2021 and it ends in 2025,” he wrote. “But when I look back, it's over for a while.
“…When you enter a cage that matches your fear, when you hear the cheering of the crowd, your fear turns into excitement… You feel frustrated when you lose [the feeling] cannot be replaced by anything. … I did my best, so I have no regrets. Thank you to the fans who laughed and cried with me.”
A look back at Kyung-ho Kang's UFC career
Kang made his UFC debut in 2013, following a string of consecutive victories that earned him the Road FC bantamweight title. He faced Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres, who was 8-5 at the time, in his first UFC fight. Caceres would become a mainstay in the UFC.
Caceres won a tight split decision, which was overturned to a no contest after testing positive for marijuana. Kang then lost another decision to the underrated Chico Camus at UFC 164.
Undaunted by the loss, Kang snapped a two-fight winning streak over veteran Shunichi Shimizu and undefeated Michinori Tanaka before taking a two-year break to serve his mandatory South Korean military service. On his return in 2017, he defeated fierce striker Guido Cannetti.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Throughout his career, Kang suffered losses in high-profile fights against Ricardo Ramos, Rani Yahya, John Castaneda and Muin Gafurov. 'Sir. Perfect” retired after his first-ever UFC losing streak, with an MMA record of 19-11 (1NC) and a UFC record of 8-5 (1NC).
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