FB TW IG YT VK TH
Search
MORE FROM OUR CHANNELS

Wrestlezone
FB TW IG YT VK TH

Mike Pyle Announces Plans to Retire Following UFC 222 Bout vs. Zak Ottow



Mike Pyle is planning to call it a career after his 43rd professional bout at UFC 222 on Saturday.

Advertisement
The 42-year-old known as “Quicksand” announced his decision during ”The MMA Hour” on Monday. Pyle will square off against Zak Ottow in a preliminary welterweight bout on UFC Fight Pass at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I’m looking forward to fight this weekend and that will be my very last fight ever,” Pyle said. “I’m gonna retire. It’s been a long road and that’s it. I want to hang the gloves up and move on. I’m excited to make that move, I’m ready to retire. I’m 43 [in September] this year, it’s time.”

Pyle will bring a 27-13-1 career mark into his showdown with Ottow. The Syndicate MMA representative is coming off back-to-back knockout losses to Alberto Mina and Alex Garcia in his last two Octagon appearances. Pyle did not compete at all during 2017.

“The juice is no longer worth the squeeze,” Pyle said. “The pay checks just aren’t big enough for me to stay in harm’s way at my age. That’s it. I’m easily gonna walk away. It’s really not that hard, to be honest. It is my identity, that’s what I’ve been identified as, as a fighter for so many years. It’s gonna be a different change, but it’s nothing that hits the heart too much.”

Pyle kicked off his MMA tenure with a unanimous decision loss to Quinton Jackson at an event in Memphis on Nov. 13, 1999. He notched a victory over Jon Fitch in his sophomore outing and proceeded to have stints in World Extreme Cagefighting, International Fight League, EliteXC, Strikeforce, Affliction, Sengoku and the UFC during a well-traveled career.

Pyle is 10-8 in the Octagon heading into UFC 222. During one stretch from June 2010 to May 2013, Pyle won seven of eight bouts within the Las Vegas-based promotion, notably besting the likes of Rick Story, Josh Neer, Ricardo Almeida and John Hathaway. He has since lost five of his last seven bouts.

Related Articles

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required
Latest News

POLL

Will Conor McGregor fight in 2024?

FIGHT FINDER


FIGHTER OF THE WEEK

Ben Tynan

TOP TRENDING FIGHTERS


+ FIND MORE