Every UFC retirement in 2024

In MMA, time passes faster than a lightning strike. If you break a bone in a fight - there goes the next 9-12 months of your career. If you pull a muscle while training, you may have to sit out for half a year. Eventually, in the blink of an eye, Father Time catches up with all.

Announcing one's retirement is never easy, neither for the fighter nor for the fans. It is hard to walk away from the high of it all - the rush of being cheered on by the crowd, the glory of getting one's hands raised, and the love and affection of the fans. It's the yearning for these that often makes fighters wait too long to make the call and they end up leaving the sport where they once ruled, in a disappointing manner.

We've seen Anderson Silva do it, among others. We may see a few in 2024 as well - we're all thinking the same names. It's not every day that a fighter hangs up the gloves of a professional fighter and does not answer the itch of putting it on again. The likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov are a rare exception.

Some get to leave the octagon in an iconic manner, like 'The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung or Robbie Lawler did in 2023. Others, like Glover Teixeira, barely get to savor a standing ovation despite retiring in their home country. Nevertheless, MMA, and especially the UFC, has one of the more poetic concepts of announcing an in-cage retirement, where a fighter takes their gloves off and leaves them at the center of the octagon. The out-of-cage ones, announced on social media, are not as cinematic but equally impactful.

As 2024 rolls on, this article will track all the retirements by active UFC fighters in 2024. There are some important retirements that happened outside of the UFC and we'll update those as well.

Malcolm Gordon

On Jan. 21, Malcolm Gordon took to Instagram to announce his retirement with one simple word, "retired." The announcement was not a shock since it was thought he might retire after his UFC 297 loss. Gordon missed weight for his fight with Jimmy Flick, who ended up submitting him in the second round of their preliminary fight. Gordon had lost three in a row, all finished. His last win came via submission in February 2022. He holds a 14-8 professional record upon his retirement.

Mark Madsen

Former Olympian, Mark Madsen quietly retired this year after losing his last UFC fight in 2023. He posted a lengthy statement on Instagram on Jan. 31 revealing he had hung up his gloves for good.

Jamie Pickett

Jamie Pickett announced his retirement after his UFC Vegas 87 loss on March 2. He lost his bout to Eryk Anders via decision and spoke with the media revealing his decision. Pickett appeared (and lost) on season 1 of DWCS and then again in season 2. His third appearance was the charm and he won and was signed to the promotion. His UFC debut came on Dec. 19, 2020, when he lost to Tafon Nchukwi via decision. He would finally earn his first official UFC win on Oct. 23, 2021, when he defeated Laureano Staropoli via decision. Before his retirement, he went five losses in a row.

Tyson Pedro

One of the more shocking retirements came when Tyson Pedro retired at UFC Vegas 87. He lost his fight to Vitor Petrino but had secured a highlight reel KO just one fight before. He cited wanting to be home with his daughter as his reason for hanging up his gloves. "[My career has] been amazing but it's always been my intention to show my daughter that as long as you work your a** off and grind doing what you love, you can do anything you can dream of, and I think my dreams have just changed at this point," Pedro told Cormier in the Octagon following his loss. "So that's it for me with the UFC. Thank you to all the fans from the bottom of my heart. I don't think it's goodbye, just see you later so until then, thanks, everyone." Pedro leaves the spots with a 10-5 MMA record including six UFC victories.

Joanne Wood (formerly Calderwood)

Joanne Wood let it be known that UFC 299 would be her last fight before she even stepped into the Octagon on March 9. After a disappointing first round, Wood rallied back to earn the split in her swan song. She first appeared on The Ultimate Fighter season 20 before making her official debut in the organization. She has been a staple of WMMA since her pro debut in February 2012. She ends her career with a 17-8 pro record.

Matt Brown

UFC veteran Matt Brown announced his retirement on May 4 with a no-nonsense tweet. "Not doing it again. I’m out," he tweeted. "That’s the announcement. My life will now be dedicated to serving others. Growing others in the martial arts and building businesses that can help the community and the world." Brown's last fight was a win over Court McGee at UFC Charlotte in May 2023. He leaves the sport with a 24-19 professional record.

Michelle Waterson-Gomez

Michelle Waterson-Gomez announced her retirement following her loss to Gillian Robertson at UFC 303 on June 29. Her emotional retirement speech was paired with a highlight reel package aired while she was still in the Octagon. "I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for the UFC and all you fans continuing to push me. Fighting runs through my veins. It’s made me who I am. When you fight, you chase greatness," she said.

We will update this article as each retirement happens, check back often for the latest updates.