Felice Herrig returned to the Octagon for the first time in nearly two years on Saturday, but it was only temporary.
Herrig announced her retirement in the cage following a second-round submission loss to Karolina Kowalkiewicz in a preliminary strawweight clash at UFC Fight Night 207 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. For Herrig, it was important to return from injury.
“It’s been an honor being in the UFC in eight years and fighting for 20. I had two ACL surgeries and I really wanted to not go out like that,” Herrig said. “I wanted to prove to myself that I can overcome two knee surgeries and come back and still fight at the highest level.
“I felt better than ever in training. My mind felt great… But I knew that if I wasn’t feeling it in the cage, it was going to be my last fight. Not in a bad way, I just feel like there’s something else for me. It’s time to close this chapter in my life — which is really sad because I’ve committed the past 20 years to it. But it’s just time to move on to something else.”
Herrig exits the sport with a 14-10 career mark compiled over the course of a career that began in 2009. “Lil Bulldog” went 5-5 in UFC competition and also fought for Bellator MMA and Invicta during her professional tenure. Herrig lost her last four UFC appearances.
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