The mixed martial arts world may have witnessed Olivier Aubin-Mercier step foot inside the cage for the last time.
Aubin-Mercier (21-5) clinched his second consecutive Professional Fighters League lightweight title against Clay Collard in the 2023 PFL Championships main event on Friday at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. While Collard (24-11) had his moments early in the bout while regularly landing damaging leg kicks and body shots, Aubin-Mercier racked up a significant amount of control time on the ground and even came close to submitting the American with a rear-naked choke in the final frame. In the end, “The Canadian Gangster” secured a unanimous decision, with 49-46 marks on all three judges’ scorecards.
Afterward, Aubin-Mercier declared his intention to take a hiatus from the sport.
“Sand in between my toes I would say [is next],” he said. “I’m going to take a break. Two years ago, I told my little girl it was the last summer I was going to work. I worked this year, so I think I need to spend time with my family.”
Since parting ways with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2019, Aubin-Mercier has racked up a 10-0 record and two $1 million titles in the PFL. He made two appearances in his first year with the PFL and fought four times each in 2022 and 2023. The schedule has taken a mental and physical toll on Aubin-Mercier. During the post-fight media scrum, he admitted his forthcoming break could turn into a retirement.
“I think so,” Aubin-Mercier said. “Like, for sure, I left the door open, but I’m going to take a year off for sure, and you know, it’s hard for [an] athlete to come back after a year, so the feeling I have [is that] it’s my last time.”
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