UFC middleweight Nick Catone was forced out of a fight with Vitor Miranda at UFC on Fox 15: Machida vs. Rockhold, due to lingering back issues. Given the continuing nature of the back injury, as well as a series of surgeries including a torn achilles tendon, shoulder, ACL, and hand tendon, Catone made the decision to retire.
The three-time Div I national qualifier in wrestling and Ricardo Almeida black belt is just 33. He will down devote his time to his students at the Nick Catone MMA academy in Bricktown, NJ, as well as his growing family.
Catone began his career 6-0, including four straight wins in Ring of Combat, before being picked up by the UFC in 2009. He went 4-4 in the league, most recently a win over Tom Watson in Feb. Due to injuries, he did not fight at all in 2014.
In the last couple years I’ve had a lot of injuries, said Catone to Thomas Gerbasi for UFC.com. “My back has probably been the biggest thing slowing me down. I’m not able to train like I used to. I train for a couple days, then I’m hurting for a couple days. I still fought because I enjoy it, but when I’m waking up in pain every day, I’m just not enjoying it anymore.
I’ve got the little one at home, I have another one on the way, and I want to be able to have a life down the road and not be all banged up because I stayed in a little too long. I think my body’s trying to tell me something, but it’s a hard decision – I’ve been competing since I’m seven years old and I’m having a tough time with it.
The gym and the family are my main focus now/. I have a lot of great people around the gym. I’ve got Corey Anderson and Frankie Perez helping teach at the gym now, and I’ve got a lot of tough fighters – pro and amateur – so I’ll have to fill my void through those guys and being around them. Plus, (Frankie) Edgar and (Edson) Barboza and all the guys are always coming in once or twice a week to train, so it’s something that’s part of my life.
Being in the UFC has changed my life. Being in the best organization, fighting the best guys in the world, nobody can ever take that away. It was something I dreamed of making it to, I made it there, and unfortunately, I was dreading that this day would have to come, and it came a little sooner than I thought it would. I was hoping to get a couple more in, but it didn’t play out that way.”
