In the span of just a couple of days, two WEC/UFC greats in Joseph Benavidez and Carlos Condit have decided to hang their gloves up.
All Access MMA reported earlier this week on the retirement of Benavidez, and more information can be found here. According to MMA Fighting‘s Guilherme Cruz, “The Natural Born Killer” has hung up his gloves after an illustrious career that dates back to 2002. The 170-pound all-action fighter was lauded for his violent style of fighting and walks away having competed in 46 professional bouts.
Former UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit has retired from MMA, sources told me. Condit's manager Malki Kawa confirmed the news to my colleague @DamonMartin. Story coming to @MMAFighting.
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) September 16, 2021
A former UFC interim champion, Condit shared his blood with the promotion’s cream of the crop. While he came up short in his title bid against Robbie Lawler in 2016, the split-decision nod for “Ruthless” left many bewildered by the decision. The title fight was incredibly close and showcased the resilience and heart required in order to drape gold around their waist.
Condit walks away with several notable wins and some of his best include victories over the likes of Dan Hardy, Nick Diaz, and Rory MacDonald. In addition, he will be remembered for his legendary wars against Georges St-Pierre, Johny Hendricks, and Martin Kampmann. “The Natural Born Killer” picked up his last win in the Octagon against Matt Brown in January on the UFC on ABC 1 card earlier this year.
In his most recent outing, Condit was paired with Max Griffin on the UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor 3 mega event. Despite going the distance, the 37-year old was outstruck and perhaps signaled the passing of the welterweight torch. As the former WEC welterweight champion and the former interim UFC 170-pound titleholder, there is no doubt that Condit has secured a spot in the Hall of Fame when the time comes.
All Access MMA wishes both Carlos Condit and Joseph Benavidez a happy and healthy retirement!
What is your favorite moment from the legendary career of Condit?
