Jack Shore received an emotional farewell from the UFC after being forced to retire from MMA earlier this week.
The former featherweight contender announced Wednesday that a string of injuries would force him to hang up his gloves after a long career in MMA. The former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion joined the UFC in 2019 and spent five years in the sport's top promotion.
He arrived on the scene undefeated but struggled to find his best form after a bonus-winning debut in Copenhagen. And he ultimately suffered three stoppage losses, including a bizarre doctor stoppage at UFC 301 that was followed by a submission to Youssef Zalal in November.
Jack Shore announced his retirement from the UFC in a shocked statement this week
After his first ever run of back-to-back defeats, Welsh star Jack Shore surprisingly announced he would be hanging up his gloves on Wednesday. His contract with the UFC was up and despite his losses, they were willing to offer him a new deal.
But he chose to end his career instead, writing: “Hi guys, I've been quiet for a while, enjoying time with my friends and family. As it may come as a surprise to some, I have decided to throw in the towel on my professional fighting career.
“After fighting out of my contract and taking some time to think about the future, it is clear to me that my time fighting professionally is over. Although I had the opportunity to re-sign with UFC, I have decided that my days are over.
“I would like to thank the UFC for allowing me to 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 with a dream as a child led me to amateur titles, world titles and realizing my dream of fighting in the UFC.
“I can truly say that before 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 did before would have thought possible.
“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.”
Fans Surprise as UFC Pays Tribute to Jack Shore in Emotional Video Package
Viewers were left scratching their heads Saturday night when the promotion, which often pays little attention to athlete retirements or the end of contracts, aired a video honoring Shore during the UFC Tampa broadcast.
In between fights, they posted a tribute video that seemed to irritate fans who felt a similar package was needed for legendary former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. He retired after UFC 309 in an almost under-the-radar moment after losing to Jon Jones in his first fight in four years.
And fans seemed surprised to see Shore, a seemingly permanent member of the roster, receive such a tribute, with one writing: “Happy retirement to Jack Shore, but not Stipe is DIRTY, the ufc is insanely disrespectful.”
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Others seemed generally surprised by what they saw, with several fans asking, “Why the hell is my TV showing a Jack Shore tribute video?” Another said: “Are they really doing a retirement video for Jack Shorern?”
It wasn't all unpopular, however, and some shared the sentiment that it should be more common to see such tributes to retired fighters. “Your mileage may vary, but I really appreciate the UFC showing respect for retired fighters, like that Jack Shore piece they just ran,” one viewer wrote. “That's a classy move.”
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