Enson Inoue Retires From MMA

By BJPENN.COM News - October 6, 2014

enson

MMA pioneer Enson Inoue officially retired from MMA earlier today, posting a message on the UnderGround.

Inoue hadn’t fought since 2010, where he defeated Antz Nansen, but never officially announced his retirement.

A pioneer of MMA, Inoue fought in several of the biggest MMA promotions in the world including Shooto where he was a champion, the UFC, and PRIDE FC. Inoue fought the best throughout his career including Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, Igor Vovchanchyn, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Kerr, Heath Herring and more.

I look across this arena tonight and all I feel is appreciation.
Appreciation for you the promoters who gives us fighters a battlefield,
Appreciation for the staff who work hard to make this possible,
Also appreciation to you the fans, for without you fans there would be no need for fighters. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I have never, not once turned away a fan and… I never will.

It’s hard to believe that today, I will be saying goodbye to this ring.
This ring has helped become the man I am today and it is the place that has helped me find my way in life.

The Yamatodamashii way.
It’s not about being tough but to accept your weaknesses and work to get stronger day by day.

Nor is it about having no fear, but it’s about having fears but never running from and facing them head one no matter how scared you may be.

The Yamatodamashii way is a way that helps me with the acceptance of dying tomorrow if means dying with honor,
The Yamatodamashii way gives me compassion to do everything in my power to help ones in need,

They Yamatodamashii way gives me integrity to do what right even if you may need to make great sacrifices or bear much suffering.

Every time I fought I climbed into this ring I acceptIng in my heart that I was going to die here.

I didn’t die but instead I was reborn as a real man.

A man that will live a life of Yamatodamashii and

A man that will face death with Yamatodamashii burning in my heart.

Everyone… Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To fighting…. Thank and goodbye

Yamatodamashii until the death
????????

Thank you to Enson Inoue for the memories throughout your historic MMA career.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


Topics:

UFC NEWS