Patrick Cummins announces his retirement from MMA

Patrick Cummins, the UFC light heavyweight contender who famously left his job as a barista to fight Daniel Cormier on short notice, has announced his retirement from MMA.

Cummins made his announcement on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon.

“I’ve given the idea of retirement a lot of careful consideration over the past 6 months. Today is the day that I officially say goodbye to my 20+ year long career as an athlete,” Cummins wrote on Instagram. It’s not an easy decision to make especially when a competitive life is all I’ve ever known.

“I’m not quite sure what the next chapter will be titled, but I know one thing for certain. I won’t spend any more time involved in something that my heart isn’t 100% into,” Cummins continued. “I spent over year in the UFC where that was the case but I wasn’t completely aware of it. Turns out that’s probably one of the hardest places to go through the motions. Live and learn.

“I want to thank my friends, family, loved ones, coaches, sponsors and training partners who’ve had a hand in shaping me over the years. You all know who you are and I love you.
One group of people I’ve left out is my fans. I’ve been able to do extraordinary things with your moral support. In good times and especially bad, many of you have reached out with motivation or praise over the years that I could never understand. For that, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart,” Cummins concluded. “I don’t think anyone can look back at their career and be completely satisfied with it, but one thing I wouldn’t change for anything is the unique group of amazing fans I’ve managed to curate. I love you all too. Thank you!! Cheers. Last but not least all the photos and videos here are from the best in the business and my dear friends since day one. The lovely @allelbows and handsomely mustached @e_casey_leydon. Link to the rest of the video is in the bio.” 

Over the course of his UFC career, Patrick Cummins picked up wins over the likes of Antônio Carlos Júnior, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, Jan Blachowicz, and Gian Villante. He ends his career on a three-fight losing-streak, having recently come up short against Corey Anderson, Misha Cirkunov and Ed Herman.

Cummins retires with an overall record of 10-7.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/24/2019.