The impact of Matt Schnell’s retirement on the flyweight division.
Matt Schnell, who is also known by his nickname ‘Danger’ has been among the most exciting fighters in the UFC’s flyweight division for the past few years. His fights have always been tactically intense with high tempo and he always engages the fans especially when he gave a good account of himself in some of the most entertaining fights. Schnell’s decision to retire is a big blow to the flyweight division, a division that has been going through some radical changes in the recent past. In this article, we will discuss how his retirement will impact the flyweight division, the possibilities that other fighters will have, the history of the division and the future of the flyweight class after Schnell. 1. Matt Schnell: The Journey Matt Schnell joined the UFC flyweight division in 2016 when he fought on the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter” season 24 in which champions from different organizations competed for a title shot at the then flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. Schnell may not have taken home the victory in the tournament but he did get a UFC contract out of it. It didn’t take long for Schnell to gain a reputation for being an entertaining fighter, who would always stand and trade, and never back down from a fight, while also having great submission skills. One of the best performances was at UFC 269 in December 2021 where he fought with Brandon Royval and put up a great display of toughness and pressure. Despite his defeat, he was known to have given his best and thus enhanced his reputation of being a great performer. Another memorable bout was his contest with Su Mudaerji at UFC Long Island in July 2022; a thrilling contest that many people believe was one of the best flyweight bouts in the history of the organization. Schnell’s ability to get out of the near finishes and then come back to get the submission win showed that Schnell is a true warrior in the Octagon and fans and other fighters praised him for it. Schnell has wins over top-ranked opponents in his career such as Tyson Nam and Louis Smolka. Schnell never got to win the UFC gold but he was able to bring excitement and tough fights to the division. 2. The Flyweight Division: An Overview In order to explain the effects of Matt Schnell’s retirement, it is necessary to go through the history and development of the flyweight division. The flyweight division was added into the UFC in 2012 and the first champion of the division was Johnson Demetrious Mighty Mouse through a tournament that involved the best fighters globally. Johnson would go on to become one of the most successful champions in the history of UFC, holding the title from 2012 to 2018, and making 11 successful title defenses, another UFC record. Nevertheless, Johnson was supreme in the division, yet the flyweight was not able to achieve the same level of popularity as the other weight classes in the UFC. The first problem was the notion that flyweights could not deliver KO’s, as most fans preferred other weight classes where fighters could knock opponents out with a single strike. Johnson’s skills were usually overlooked and there was a time when the UFC was thinking of closing the division. Changes started happening when Henry Cejudo defeated Demetrious Johnson by a split decision at UFC 227 in 2018. Cejudo’s win was the start of a new chapter for the flyweight division as he would later on become the bantamweight champion which only elevated the status of both divisions. Cejudo’s rivalry with TJ Dillashaw, who moved to the flyweight division to challenge him for the title and his subsequent retirement after capturing the bantamweight title also provided the much needed excitement to the flyweight division. The division was left without Cejudo and the division saw new champions like Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno who had an amazing trilogy between 2020 and 2022. The Figueiredo-Moreno rivalry became the best rivalry that the fans could ask for and played a big role in building the flyweight division as one of the best divisions in the UFC. 3. Where Matt Schnell Stands in the Flyweight Division? Thus, in the world of flyweight division that is becoming more and more competitive and diverse, Matt Schnell established himself as a dangerous fighter. Schnell was never a fighter who could be described as a puncher or a knock-out artist but a fighter who had a lot of heart and a great technique. His grappling was also very effective, especially the guillotine choke which he used to win many fights in the UFC. In addition, Schnell was able to deliver exciting fights for the fans which made him a contender for the title even when he was not the champion. Schnell was a member of the flyweight division which also featured other talented fighters such as Alexandre Pantoja, Askar Askarov and Brandon Royval. This group of fighters played a big role in taking the division out of the shadow of Demetrious Johnson and bring new life into the division. It was crucial for Schnell to be there as he is the kind of fighter that can both provide excitement to the audience and challenge anyone in the division. Schnell never got to be the flyweight champion of the world but his fights were always among the most exciting on any given card. His exciting victory over Su Mudaerji in which he was knocked down several times but managed to submit his opponent with a triangle choke is a clear testament as to why Schnell was such a fan favourite in the division. The fighters such as Schnell are important in any weight division because they help fans stay interested in the division even when there are no title shots to be had. 4. Schnell’s Retirement and Its Effect on Flyweight Division Matt Schnell’s retirement is a good chance for other fighters in the flyweight division to advance in the
Matt Schnell’s sudden retirement: What led to his decision after UFC Vegas 97?
The most popular flyweight of the UFC, Matt Schnell, left mixed martial arts after the defeat by Cody Durden in the fight that took place at UFC Vegas 97 on September 7, 2024. A second-round submission saw Durden defeating Schnell with an anaconda choke; Schnell seemed to have been dominating the bout in the first round. His decision to retire was preceded by laying down his gloves in the octagon which left fans and analysts with many questions to ask. This decision is not just due to his display at the event, UFC Vegas 97 but is a combination of various physical, psychological and personal issues. This article explores the various factors that made Schnell to quit the fight as they include; the recent losses, the frequent injuries, the rising competition in the flyweight division, the issue with the mental health of a fighter, and family issues. 1. The Career Characterized by the Peaks and Valleys As for Matt Schnell, his journey to MMA started in earnest when he joined UFC in 2016. As a talented fighter, Schnell possessed a strong submission game and technical skills that helped him to gain recognition by fans. But Schnell’s career was a roller coaster ride with many highs and lows with a string of victories but also failures. In total, Schnell has a professional record of 16-9, including one no-contest, and during his time in the UFC, he faced some of the top fighters in the flyweight division. His stamina to come back during the challenging moments made him gain fans’ approval and several ‘Fight of the Night’ awards such as the one against Su Mudaerji in July 2022. Still, Schnell’s career was not without a string of difficult losses, including to Matheus Nicolau, Brandon Royval, and Cody Durden. UFC Vegas 97 defeat to Durden was his fourth loss in the last five bouts, three of which were by stoppages – two KOs and one submission. These losses questioned Schnell’s resilience and readiness to perform at the elite level and that too in a division which is rather volatile at the moment – the flyweight division. One cannot even begin to imagine the amount of pressure and stress these losses took on the individuals’ mental and emotional states. This is particularly the case when a fighter loses a number of big fights, and the athlete begins to doubt their ability to challenge for the championship. These cumulative losses can be viewed as the reasons behind Schnell’s retirement as he decided that he is no longer able to perform at the level that was characteristic for him in the past. 2. Physical Fatigue and Injury Difficulties MMA is a very strenuous sport that puts a lot of pressure on the athletes and Schnell’s career also proved that. In his career, he suffered several injuries and concussions that affected his training and performance for the most part. This was compounded by the fact that nearly 9 years of professional fighting had aged him and he was constantly plagued with injuries that slowed him down. For instance, Schnell had to withdraw from a much-anticipated fight against David Dvořák in the UFC 289 event scheduled for June 23, 2023, because of an injury. This was not the first time; the constant injuries cut short his fights and training regimes making it hard for him to remain relevant in the increasingly competitive UFC flyweight division. Also, Schnell’s fighting style made him get into positions where he would take a lot of hits. Against Su Mudaerji he was knocked down several times but was still able to submit his opponent. While this victory helped to further establish him as a determined contender, it also highlighted the amount of punishment that he was willing to take. Such wars in the octagon if continue over a period of time can cause severe damage, not only to the body but also to the mind. One has to also acknowledge that Schnell lost to Matheus Nicolau and Steve Erceg by the knockout, which might have influenced the decision to retire. The chronic effects of concussions are not good for a fighter’s health and many MMA athletes have retired young to avoid the long-term effects of CTE. In Schnell’s case, the fact that his body may not be able to endure the physical demands required of a fighter in the ring might have been the main reason that led him to retire. 3. The Changing Flyweight Division The flyweight division, which was always thought to be one of the least developed divisions in UFC, has lately received a boost in terms of big fights and entertaining fighters. It is worthy to note that the champions like Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo have brought focus to the division and their action-packed fights have enthralled the audience all across the globe. However, new talents like Alexandre Pantoja and Amir Albazi were emerging in the division which made the division as competitive as it could be. Although the revival of the flyweight division has been beneficial to the sport it also added pressure on fighters like Schnell who was active for several years and had to compete with new, young and energetic talent. New prospects for success emerged and the situation demanded constant high performances from Schnell and other similar professionals. Schnell, who also had all the potential, started to lose his place in the ranking because of these changes. A second-round TKO loss to Brandon Royval in May 2022 was preceded by two consecutive knockout losses that demoted him even lower. In a division that seemed to be shifting more and more towards dynamic strikers and the best grapplers, Schnell’s shot at the championship became less clear. Perhaps Schnell realized that the way to the UFC flyweight title was gradually becoming tougher and that his best shot at the title was gone. It can be speculated that instead of continuing to struggle and lose fights, Schnell came to the realization that retirement is the better
