Eddie Wineland made his retirement official after his knockout loss to Cody Stamann at UFC on ESPN 37.
Wineland (24-16-1 MMA, 6-10 UFC) suffered a third consecutive first-round stoppage defeat and dropped his fifth fight in his past six outings Saturday when Stamann (20-5-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) blitzed him for a quick finish in their bantamweight matchup at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
The former WEC champion and onetime interim UFC title challenger took his gloves off inside the octagon after the finish, but did not leave them behind when he exited the cage. That left speculation about whether he was going to walk away. But Sunday, Wineland made things official with a social media post confirming his decision to retire (via Instagram):
I didn’t get an opportunity to leave my gloves in the cage but as Jim Morrison once sang “this is the end” The road I’ve traveled over the past almost 20 years has seen many highs and lows, it’s been a fun ride but this train has reached its final destination! I am forever grateful and extremely thankful for the opportunities given by @ufc @danawhite @seanshelby everything you guys and the company have done for and given to me I am forever grateful! Thank you and thank you to the fans who’ve always stood in my corner…officially #retired #endoftheroad #thankyou for the memories time to turn the page and on to the next chapter in life!
Wineland, who faced some of the top names in 135-pound history throughout his career, holds the record for most fights in UFC/WEC combined bantamweight history at 23. His eight knockout wins are most in combined divisional history, as are his 13 knockdowns landed.
UFC president Dana White praised Wineland after learning of his decision to hang up the gloves.
“Great guy,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC on ESPN 37 post-fight news conference. “Another one that always will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. Good dude. We like him a lot and wish him the best in his retirement.”
