One of the most experienced Irish fighters on the UFC roster has hung up his gloves.
Cathal Pendred (17-4-1) announced his retirement from the sport on Wednesday afternoon, a month after losing his second consecutive fight for the first time in his career.
Pendred signed with the UFC after a stint on season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter and made his official promotional debut with a comeback victory over Mike King in Dublin last July.
The Punisher went on a four-fight win streak in the UFC before losing a split decision to John Howard at UFC 189 and his striking was heavily criticised in that defeat.
Almost a month to the day that he was viciously knocked out by Tom Breese, Pendred announced his decision to leave the sport via this post on Facebook.
I am a passionate person and I always give 100% to what I do. I have been passionate about MMA for a long time and my focus on the sport has been my driving force for the last 9 years.
I now find that my passion is no longer what it was and I feel that it is time for me to move on. I have other interests that I want to pursue. The time is right to close one door and open another. My love of MMA remains with me. I intend to maintain my involvement with the sport, but I no longer wish to compete.
I have developed as a person because of Mixed Martial Arts, as I learned to cope with the disipline and demands of the sport. MMA has made me a stronger person. This strength will carry through into other areas of my life, as I move on to pursue new goals.
I would like to thank all my coaches and team mates for their friendship and support. Thank you to everyone who has followed and supported me on this journey. Indeed thanks to everyone that I met through MMA from start to finish. This chapter of my life wouldn’t have been the same without you.
My participation in competing in MMA has come to an end, but my love for the sport has not. I will maintain my interest in the sport and continue to support my team mates as they follow their dreams.
Cathal Pendred
November 25th 2015
Dublin, Ireland
