Uncertainty in Life After Fighting

[JayPettryMMA]

BY PATRICK AUGER
JUN 6, 2019

Anthony Smith submitted hometown hero Alexander Gustafsson with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round of the UFC Fight Night 153 main event on Saturday in Stockholm. Despite “The Mauler” finding rhythm and success with his striking in the second and third rounds, Smith managed to secure a takedown against the 32-year-old Swede that led to an upset in enemy territory. Afterward, a dejected Gustafsson left his gloves in the Octagon and retired from the sport. “The show’s over guys,” he said.

Gustafsson isn’t the only fighter who left MMA behind recently. Five-year Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Nick Hein announced he was bowing out after a technical knockout loss to Frank Camacho at UFC Fight Night 153; light heavyweight Jimi Manuwa on June 4 announced he was done with MMA in an Instagram post following a vicious knockout loss to Aleksandar Rakic on the same card; and Muhammed Lawal’s retirement was revealed on social media a day earlier by American Top Team, with the former Strikeforce champion revealing plans to coach with the group moving forward.

All four men are well-established veterans of the sport and should be able to rest on their laurels. As for what comes next for each of them: most likely some type of second job. Enter the MMA retirement plan or lack thereof. In a sport that takes a hefty toll on the body, little comes in the way of programs set aside for fighters when they decide to put down the gloves. Once upon a time, if a fighter was a big enough name in the UFC, he or she would receive “one of those Chuck Liddell jobs” that consisted of a perpetual paycheck for little to no work. However, since the company sold to WME-IMG in 2016, those opportunities are relics of the past. Although popular retired fighters may still be paid to appear at special events, it does not come close to substituting for regular income, and those who either lack a big enough following or failed to save enough money are left with no help whatsoever.


Read more at https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Uncertainty-in-Life-After-Fighting-156093#2Tcsgseabgi6fORh.99

 

[Muhammad Nasir Khan]

That's the ugly part of this sports. So far I came to know that the only way to secure your future (If you are not a super star just like Conor, Mayweather etc) to start coaching in a Gym or to open your own gym or something like that. But at the end the main point is "YOU CANT ONLY RELY ON PRMOTIONS/FIGHT PURSE"

 

[Judoka1532]

It's not going to hurt them to get a 9-5 job like 95% of the rest of us. I mean welcome to my life.

 

[Paladin]

I hope they were wise stewards with their income, and made sound financial decisions, such as investing in real estate, IRA, idk if UFC offers 401ks, as well as living way below their means.

Having enough cash to buy a Lamborghini should not be license to buy one, especially if the revenue stream is so short lived. ( unless you made tiger woods money )

I know it’s always easier said than done especially for guys like me, looking from the outside.

 

[Lisa McCoy]

Hi, @jei i am an avid follower of the sport and live in Vietnam half of the year. I train in some of the local fighting varieties too. I found your post along with all the informative links very immersing. I was also thinking how the idea of getting a 'real' job remains despite spending hours and hours of life in training and spending life in a way which is suitable for fighting. While you mentioned the bodily damages that come with the sport, there is also the emotional feeling that comes with after a fight is over. Psychology describes this feeling as something like post natal- as in the feeling of emptiness that comes after anticipation of a creation. This has been seen with sportspeople as well as performing artists who all prepare- physically and emotionally- for their respective fields- fights and shows- and then like in this case are required to 'get back to business of jobs and all' right away without even celebrating or mourning their victories and losses. Survival beckons i guess. It is a very sad state of affairs really.