Former UFC veteran retires because it’s “stressful to make a living in MMA”

Former middleweight contender of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Darren Stewarthas decided to end his mixed martial arts (MMA) career after competing professionally for over a decade.

The man known as “The Dentist” explained on his Instagram account that while he still feels able to keep up at 33, he has become painfully aware that the sport simply does not pay enough to make his time worthwhile.

“Yes folks, it hurts me to write this, but I think it’s time to call it a day. Not by choice, but I’m forced to because I’ve lost a lot in this game trying to survive and I can’t do that anymore,” he said. “When UFC let me go, I should have invested something, but instead I put it all on the line AGAIN to get back to the top and life just got worse.

“I have family and it’s not fair for them to work so hard just to put food on the table. I love fighting and don’t want to label it as such since I’m only 33, but I don’t get any financial support. I’ve talked about it a few times so won’t go into detail. Maybe I’ll take up boxing if the opportunity arises, but MMA? … yeah, I’m done,” Stewart added, before saying the decision to call it a career wasn’t an easy one.

“It brings tears to my eyes to write this seriously, but it is what it is. I will continue to give private lessons or seminars and do jiu jitsu here and there because I feel like I can still pass on knowledge. But other than that, I have to get a second job. Thank you for always supporting me. This means a lot to me. I hope the next generation has learned a lot from me and my career,” he concluded.

Stewart competed for the UFC from 2016 to 2021, compiling a record of 5-7-2 during his career. After being released from the promotion in August 2021, “The Dentist” returned to his old stomping grounds with the Cage Warriors, picking up four straight wins before suffering a knockout loss earlier this year.

Pay in MMA has long been a hotly debated topic, ultimately leading to an antitrust lawsuit against UFC that was seemingly settled before a judge denied the verdict. As a result, the promotion will go back to court. But one former UFC veteran says if fighters feel they are not being compensated enough, they only have themselves to blame.