Josh Burkman retires in the Octagon at age 36, momentarily
The UnderGround wishes Burkman and his family every success, and thanks for a tremendous career.
According to commentator Brian Stann, Josh Burkman retired at age 36 following a loss at UFC Fight Night 106 in Brazil. However, it was remarkably short lived.
The People’s Warrior began his career with a loss, early in 2003, in his home state of Utah. A promising collegiate wrestler and football player, Burkman decided to forgo a scholarship offer in football to become a fighter.
Then a middleweight, Burkman put together a string of nine wins, before losing for only the second time, and then winning five more in a row. He lost to the great Jeremy Horn, immediately before becoming a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 2, now as a welterweight.
Burkman went 5-5 in the UFC, and was released in 2008. The fighter fought on, and after going 9-2, was back in the UFC. He lost a grueling decision to Hector in January of 2015 that was later overturned when the former Cuban Olympian tested positive for PEDs.
Now in his mid 30s, lost two after the Lombard fight, before dropping to lightweight. He initially had success winning a unanimous decision over K.J. Noons at UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson on February 6, 2016. His next fight a lightweight was a loss, as was the next, at welterweight.
On Saturday night Burkman was stopped by Michel Prazeres, and retired, leaving his gloves in the ring. Or did he?
I ended up not leaving them, said Burkman backstage, as transcribed by MMAjunkie. I was going to leave them. I told my coach, I said, ‘Should I leave them?’ And I almost threw them down. And I think that was just … The UFC has been good to me. They’ve been really good to me and losing in that first minute, that’s tough, that’s never happened to me before like that. So I didn’t want to retire and say I’m done right then, because that’s like … but I’m definitely looking to what might be next.
I don’t think that’s my last fight. I think that I’ve got a couple more. But I know that my career in the UFC is over, and I know that I need to start looking on to what’s next.
The fighter gathered his thoughts further, and then posted them on his social network.
Burkman and his wife, 2010 International Yoga Champion Brandy Lyn Winfield, have two young sons, Legend and Atlas. The UnderGround wishes Burkman and his family every success, in whatever direction the fighter determines is best.