Fighters Who Shocked Everyone with Surprising Announcements

The MMA universe is unscripted and filled with fantastic knockouts, dramatic submissions, and heated feuds that make headlines. But often, the most shocking moments are not those that occur during the fights, but when the fighters decide to share some news in their interviews. From retirement that sends a shiver down the spine to a switch of the profession or even a comeback—all those moments surprised not only the audience but the MMA as well. Here are some of the fighters that left people stunned with their unexpected announcements that paved the way to new directions in their careers and the sport as well.

Conor McGregor’s First Retirement Announcement

The man touted as the biggest draw in the history of MMA, Conor McGregor, has had his fair share of dramatic scenes both in and out of the cage. But one of his most unexpected decisions was made in April 2016, when he decided to retire from MMA and posted it on Twitter. After pulling out of a scheduled rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 200 due to a dispute with the UFC over promotional obligations, McGregor tweeted: After pulling out of a scheduled rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 200 due to a dispute with the UFC over promotional obligations, McGregor tweeted:

“I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later. ”

The MMA world was shocked. McGregor was in his prime, where he was at the highest of his career and was coming from a victory against José Aldo in 13 seconds at UFC 194 and a defeat to Nate Diaz at UFC 196, which paved the way for one of the most anticipated rematches in the UFC. His retirement statement was shocking, and fans wondered if this was just a bargaining chip or if he really decided to retire from racing.

This did not take long for McGregor to come out and clear the air. He was not pleased with the UFC’s expectations of him to do promotional work, and after some back and forth negotiations, he was back in the cage later that year for his bout with Diaz at UFC 202. McGregor would fight a lot more high-profile fights, but this first retirement announcement was the first of many histrionically charged moments from “The Notorious.”.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Retirement After UFC 254

October 2020 will go down in history as the time when Khabib Nurmagomedov emerged as the world’s best MMA fighter after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 and subsequently announcing his retirement. The lightweight had only recently posted his third title defense, and the man’s record now stands at thirty wins without a loss. After the fight, an emotional Khabib removed his gloves and addressed the audience, declaring his decision to step away from the sport: After the fight, an emotional Khabib removed his gloves and addressed the audience, declaring his decision to step away from the sport:

“Today, I want to say this is my last fight. No way am I going to come here without my father. It was the first time after what happened with my father, when UFC called me about Justin, I talked with my mother for three days. She didn’t want me to fight without my father, but I promised her this would be my last fight.”

Khabib’s father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, had died from COVID-19-related complications earlier this year, and Khabib’s decision was made in honor of his word to his mother. The MMA community was stunned as one of the greatest fighters of all time retired during the prime of his life.

People expected Khabib to come back and fight one more time in order to finish his career with a record of 30-0, but Khabib kept his promise and retired from MMA, leaving behind the record of one of the most dominant champions in the history of the sport.

Georges St-Pierre’s First Retirement

One of the most beloved fighters in the history of MMA, Canadian welterweight Georges St-Pierre, or GSP, came under heavy criticism and disappointment from fans in December 2013 when he announced his retirement from the sport right after successfully defending his title from Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. Although St-Pierre didn’t use the term’retirement’ at the time, he announced that he was going to step down for an unknown period of time, relinquish his welterweight belt, and thus leave his UFC status open-ended.

“I have to go for some time. I have personal issues that are taking place in my life, and I have to take a break. I do not wish to make anyone wait. It is not retirement but a break.”

The news was shocking, especially because St-Pierre was on the 12-fight winning streak and had recently scored a very close split decision victory over Hendricks. Some thought he had more left in the tank, but GSP had enough of the sport, citing burnout, pressure of being a champion, and issues of drug testing in the sport.

St-Pierre’s inactivity would span for almost four years, but he was always on the lips of MMA fans and enthusiasts. He came back into the UFC in 2017 and shifted to the middleweight division to fight then-champion Michael Bisping at UFC 217. St-Pierre was able to win the fight, and he was able to capture the middleweight title before he decided to retire for good in 2019.

The Retirement of Henry Cejudo after UFC 249

A three-division Olympic gold medalist and former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo, also known as ‘Triple C,’ shocked everyone when he retired after his victory over Dominick Cruz in UFC 249 back in May 2020. After successfully defending his bantamweight title, Cejudo shocked the MMA world by saying,

“I am content with my profession now; I have achieved enough in my sport; I want to retire and enjoy myself; I am 33 years old now; I have a girl now; and I want to have kids. Ever since I was 11 years old, I have been dedicating all my time to this sport to get where I am today, and I am retiring here tonight.”

This decision was unexpected since Cejudo was in his prime; he was a two-division champion and had defeated some of the best fighters. Most of the fans and analysts expected more from Cejudo and thought that he still had many fights within him, particularly with a lot of interesting prospects at bantamweight level.

Some believed that Cejudo retired with the intention of coming back to the UFC with a better deal, and while he has not been as active since his retirement, he has not ruled out a return. His choice to retire at such an important stage of his career has been one of the most shocking in recent MMA history.

Brock Lesnar’s Return to the UFC

Brock Lesnar has experienced the best and the worst in his wrestling and MMA career, but he remains a popular figure to this day. As for Lesnar, he was forced to leave the UFC in 2011 due to health problems and a string of losses, and while returning to WWE, it seemed that he wouldn’t be coming back to MMA again. But in June 2016, at the UFC 199 event, the MMA community was surprised by the statement that Lesnar would come back to the octagon to fight at UFC 200.

The news caused ripples in both the MMA and the WWE circles since Lesnar was still wrestling for the WWE at the time. His next opponent in UFC 200 would be Mark Hunt, a fellow heavyweight known for his devastating knockout power, thus making Lesnar’s return all the more interesting. Lesnar had not competed in over a four-and-a-half-year span, and many questioned whether or not he could still perform at the pinnacle of the sport.

Lesnar’s second fight was always expected, and he was able to get a decision win over Hunt at UFC 200. Nevertheless, the victory was later changed to no contest due to the fact that Lesnar had used a banned substance. All the same, Lesnar’s comeback to the UFC is one of the most shocking and discussed events in the history of MMA.

Ronda Rousey’s Transition to WWE

Ronda Rousey was the queen of women’s MMA for a long time; she was a bantamweight champion and the first female fighter who got popular. Rousey was defeated twice by Holly Holm and once by Amanda Nunes, and she decided to leave the MMA for some time, leaving her fans wondering if she would ever make a return.

In January 2018, Rousey made another announcement that left the world stunned. She announced that she had signed with WWE as a wrestler. The decision left most of the MMA fans shocked, as they had expected her to either go back to the UFC or quit the fight business completely. Rousey joined WWE through the Royal Rumble event, and the announcement received enormous media coverage.

Some fans criticized Rousey for leaving MMA for WWE, but she has been one of the most popular wrestlers in WWE, has been the WWE Raw Women Champion, and has main event Wrestlemania. Switching from MMA to WWE was a risky and unconventional career transition, and it made Rousey one of the most diverse talents in sports entertainment.

The Comeback of Nick Diaz to the MMA after a Long Time of Hiatus

Nick Diaz is one of the fighters who is loved by fans for his aggressive behavior and spectacular fights on the Octagon; in 2021, he shocked the MMA community by announcing his comeback after a 6-year break. Diaz, who had last fought in 2015 against Anderson Silva in a fight that was declared a no contest due to both fighters testing positive for banned substances, had seemingly retired from the sport and was more focused on his personal life and fitness outside the cage.

Everyone had been waiting for Diaz to return to the cage, and after a long time out of the game, most people thought he was finished fighting. But in August 2021, there was a statement that Diaz would come back into the cage to face Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. The announcement came as a surprise to the fans, especially given the fact that Diaz had taken time out of the sport, and thus fans could not tell if the Diaz they would see in the cage was the same Diaz they knew.

While Diaz was able to come back and score the victory in the fight, the return was a big deal for both Diaz and MMA as one of the most popular fighters in the sport.

Conclusion

In MMA, the unexpected becomes the order of the day, and while announcements made by fighters are part of the regular drama that defines this sport, some of them have been shocking in a different way. So, let’s take a look at some of the biggest surprising career moments that have left fans surprised and the MMA world buzzing with excitement. The fact that such announcements are unpredictable is what makes MMA such a great sport—where anything can happen even at the organizational level.