Marloes Coenen announces retirement at age 35

Marloes Coenen began training with Martijn de Jong at Shooto Holland when she was just 14. She wanted to learn self-defense, as she had a bike ride through the woods to get to school, and heard rumors there were dirty old men in the forest.

“It didn’t matter if it rained or snowed,” recalled de Jong. “She still kept on coming.”

Her inspiration was perhaps deeper still, going back generations. She drew inspiration from her grandmother, Katharina Coenen, who, along with husband Willem helped save countless Jews in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. Willem, taught Jujitsu to the Dutch resistance, too.

Now one part of Marloes’ life has come to a close. Friday night the women’s MMA pioneer fell in the fourth to Julia Budd in the inaugural Bellator featherweight championship. She then retired in the cage, at age 35.

“I was expecting a war, but Julia gave me hell, said Coenen, as transcribed by Tristen Critchfield for Sherdog. “I would like to announce this is my last fight. I retire. I would like to thank Scott Coker. He was the first promoter to recognize women are a force to be reckoned with.”

Coenen began fighting in 2000, and in that year defeated Becky Levi and Megumi Yabushita on the same night. Levi had been 7-0 and was probably the best women fighter in the sport.

Coenen went 8-0 before falling to the fists of Erin Toughill in 2004. The Dutchwoman then won five more in a row, before losing a split decision to Roxanne Modafferi in the final of a one-night, eight-women tournament in 2007. Two and a half years later she would avenge that loss.

Next Coenen fell to Cris Cyborg for the Strikeforce women’s featherweight belt, but she bounced back with wins over Sarah Kaufman and Liz Carmouche, winning and defending the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title. She lost the title to Miesha Tate, won two more, and then lost again to Cris Cyborg.

Finally, Coenen ended her career in Bellator, going 2-2.

So over 20 years she kept training and fighting, and at 35, she rightly decided it was time. The UnderGround has boundless respect and admiration all she has accomplished and wishes Coenen every success in her future endeavors.