Former UFC title challenger Eddie Wineland retires after loss to Cody Stamann

Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Eddie Wineland is calling it a career after losing five of his last six fights.

"I didn't get an opportunity to leave my gloves in the cage but as Jim Morrison once sang 'this is the end,'" Wineland wrote on Instagram on Sunday. "The road I've traveled over the past almost 20 years has seen many highs and lows, it's been a fun ride but this train has reached its final destination!"

Wineland, 37, made his pro debut in 2003 and won the World Extreme Cagefighting inaugural bantamweight belt in 2006. His contract with WEC was absorbed by the UFC in 2010 when the two companies merged and Wineland fought for the UFC's interim bantamweight title three years later against Renan Barão. While he lost the fight, Wineland was a stalwart in the UFC's bantamweight rankings until his recent run of losses.

On Saturday night, Wineland was dropped twice in the first 45 seconds by Stamann. He managed to get back to his feet after both knockdowns, but the referee ended the contest 59 seconds into the first round as Stamann unloaded on Wineland against the fence.

Wineland was shown without his gloves after the loss -- the traditional sign that a mixed martial artist is announcing their retirement -- but he wasn't interviewed in Octagon. Wineland retires with a 24-16-1 career record.