It is not at all uncommon for certain star athletes to try and extend their careers well past their prime years. Often, those aging athletes will find more negative results in their endeavors to stay relevant with a younger generation of competitors. Fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship are no different.
Here are 4 UFC fighters that Octagon days are numbered.
4 UFC fighters who should retire soon
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone
A beloved fan-favorite whose name appears often in the UFC record books, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is among the most active fighters in promotion history.
In his heyday, Cerrone challenged for the UFC lightweight title, has headlined events, or was a featured combatant on many more. He holds wins over former and future champions, and top contenders like Benson Henderson, Edson Barboza, Charles Oliveira, Matt Brown, and Al Iaquinta.
However, Cerrone’s window of relevancy might be coming to a close. The 38-year-old is winless in his last six outings and hasn’t tasted victory since his aforementioned win over Iaquinta in 2019. Because Cerrone’s recent losses have come to stiff competition — including former champions Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson — Cerrone’s designation on this list might seem a bit unfair. But given Cerrone’s extensive career and mileage, his time might be nearly up in the UFC.
Urijah Faber
Urijah Faber’s fighting future seems a bit unclear at the moment. After coming out of retirement in 2019 following three years away from the sport, Faber stunned the MMA world with a sub-minute knockout of prospect Ricky Simon to herald his return to the Octagon.
His knockout loss to future UFC champion Petr Yan in his next fight, however, led many to question what was next for the 42-year-old bantamweight. Faber is never far from the Octagon, with many of his Team Alpha Male disciples in action throughout the year in the UFC. The multiple-time UFC and WEC title challenger has been active in submission grappling competitions since his initial retirement. Including matches with elite grappler Nicky Ryan and former UFC veteran Dustin Ortiz.
Recently, “The California Kid” has suggested he planned to fight again before the pandemic changed how the UFC promoted events. But with two years since his last Octagon outing and his age continuing to climb, the Yan fight should be the last time we see the legendary Faber.
Sam Alvey
PUT HIM TO SLEEP 😴@JMarquezMMA was relentless in RD 2!
[ #UFCVegas23 | LIVE on @ABCNetwork & #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Ug1AiWpYR7
— UFC (@ufc) April 10, 2021
Sam Alvey is scheduled to fight on August 28, and he badly needs a win. The man known as “Smilin” Sam is winless in his last six fights — including three stoppage losses — and has not added a W to his win column since June 2018.
At 35, Alvey is not necessarily the oldest fighter in the world, especially in a middleweight division that will see Yoel Romero make his Bellator debut at 44-year-old later this year. However, after yet another loss in April, Alvey’s back is against the wall in a major way heading into his matchup this week with Wellington Turman.
While Alvey is evidently still able to hold his own against far younger opponents, the results just haven’t been there for him in his ventures at middleweight or light heavyweight. And having a 4-7-1 record since 2017 is proof of that. With a loss against Turman in his next fight, Alvey’s career with the UFC will come to an end.
Chris Weidman
Chris Weidman is a fighter whose career might be on its last legs –no pun intended — following a lifetime’s worth of significant injuries and his recent broken leg suffered in April against Uriah Hall.
Weidman, 37, broke his leg on a checked leg kick by Hall in a gruesome injury at UFC 261. The injury was eerily reminiscent of Anderson Silva’s when he did the same, ironically, against Weidman back in 2013.
While Weidman made headlines for his stunning recovery — posting videos of himself walking just a month after surgery and discussing training again — a recent setback due to the bone not healing properly has led to Weidman getting yet another surgery on the affected leg.
Given the difficult nature of leg injuries and Weidman’s recent struggles, his career window is closing fast. Weidman has gone 2-5 since losing the title to Luke Rockhold back in 2015, including four knockout losses and the fractured leg.
–Field Level Media
