UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy announces retirement

Tim Kennedy. Photo from UFC website

After a professional fighting career that spanned 16 years, Tim Kennedy is calling it quits.

In a lengthy Facebook post on Monday (Tuesday in Manila), the number 11 ranked UFC middleweight announced his desire to hang up his gloves for good, following a demoralizing loss against Kevin Gastelum at UFC 206 last month.

Kennedy (18-6), who burst into the UFC in 2013 after making a name for himself in the defunct Strikeforce promotion, addressed his team, some of his adversaries, the military community and his ever supportive wife.

He began his story by sharing the aftermath of his fight against Gastelum, where a good friend of his, Nick Palmisciano, accompanied him to the hospital’s Emergency Room.

“The end result always looked the same: Nick carrying five bags that should have been split among three corners and me and my face are bleeding and swollen. ‘That’s it man,’ I said. ‘We’re all done,'” he wrote.

The Jackson-Wink MMA product was also gracious in defeat and had only kind words for the man who gave him his second consecutive loss in the octagon.

“I had just lost to Kelvin Gastelum, a really respectful and hardworking young fighter who went out and did all the things I consider myself good at, but did them better,” the 37-year-old stocky fighter said.

“He actually reminded me of me when I was younger, except I was kind of a jerk back then. As losses go, I was kind of happy I lost to a guy like him.”

He also gave a shoutout to past rivals including Luke Rockhold, Jacare Souza and Michael Bisping – all three he regards for motivating him to become the best version of himself. “You made me better and I hope I did the same for you,” he wrote.

But perhaps his most sincere tribute was saved for his wife Ginger, whom he has two daughters with.

“Finally to my wife: I don’t deserve you and you don’t deserve what I’ve put you through,” the UFC vet said.  “I could lie to you and tell you it’s all over, but we both know I have already moved onto another super dangerous thing to fill my time, so I’m going to leave it just at ‘thank you and sorry’ for now.”

Aside from fighting professionally, Tim Kennedy is best known as an army sniper for the United States National Army.

For his shooting prowess and knowledge of firearms, the army ranger was featured as a participant in The History Channel’s series “Hunting Hitler”. He also has his own line of clothing called Ranger Up.

Although Kennedy failed to secure a title fight during his tenure with the UFC, he has notable wins over current middleweight champion Michael Bisping and former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. Khristian Ibarrola