Fitting end: Mark Muñoz’s first fight in Manila will be his last

MANILA, Philippines — Mark Munoz’s first fight here will also be the last in his up-and-down MMA career.

Muñoz himself made the announcement on Tuesday during the On-Sale press conference of the UFC Fight Night Manila.

“Just for everybody to know, I’ve been in the UFC for seven years now and I’ve been in the MMA for eight years and this will be my last fight,” Muñoz told reporters.

The 37-year-old Muñoz also recalled one conversation with his son which made him realize even more of his life outside the ring.

“My kids came up to me, my son especially, and said ‘Dad I really want to be a champion in wrestling,'” Muñoz recalled. “And for me, just all Filipinos, I really wanna be with my family.”

“I have a gym I teach and coach there, I have a wife and four kids and I do a lot of speaking for kids so my time is very thin and I wanna coach him and I wanna be there for my oldest daughter she’s only going to be there for a year before she leaves the house so I really wanna be there with my family,” Muñoz added.

Muñoz is set to take on English fighter Luke Barnatt this May 16 before a hometown crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“This is my last fight so I’m going to go out and fight for my people,” said Muñoz, who has been on the losing end for the past three fights. “This is a chance of a lifetime and I’m not going to miss it.”

Mark Muñoz talks to members of the media during the On Sale press conference of UFC Fight Night Manila on Tuesday. Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.net

Originally posted as of 3:32 PM | Tuesday, March 10, 2015

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