Irish MMA fighter Cathal Pendred has announced his retirement from the sport.
In a statement released on social media, Pendred said that his passion for MMA is 'no longer what it was' and that he is moving on to pursue other interests.
I am a passionate person and I always give 100% to what I do. I have been passionate about MMA for a long time and my focus on the sport has been my driving force for the last 9 years.
I now find that my passion is no longer what it was and I feel that it is time for me to move on. I have other interests that I want to pursue. The time is right to close one door and open another. My love of MMA remains with me. I intend to maintain my involvement with the sport, but I no longer wish to compete.
I have developed as a person because of Mixed Martial Arts, as I learned to cope with the disipline and demands of the sport. MMA has made me a stronger person. This strength will carry through into other areas of my life, as I move on to pursue new goals.
I would like to thank all my coaches and team mates for their friendship and support. Thank you to everyone who has followed and supported me on this journey. Indeed thanks to everyone that I met through MMA from start to finish. This chapter of my life wouldn't have been the same without you.
My participation in competing in MMA has come to an end, but my love for the sport has not. I will maintain my interest in the sport and continue to support my team mates as they follow their dreams.
Cathal Pendred
November 25th 2015
Dublin, Ireland
An MMA career which began in 2009 finishes 17-4.
His UFC debut came in July of 2014 at UFC Dublin with a remarkable comeback victory against Mike King (who it later turned out was using PEDs).
He moved to 4-0 in his UFC careeer with wins against Gasan Umalatov, Sean Spencer and Augusto Montano. However he would lose his next two fights, firstly to John Howard on the McGregor vs Mendes undercard and most recently Tom Breese at UFC Dublin in October.
Pendred's decision comes just two days after fellow Dubliner Paul Redmond was cut from the UFC roster.
Picture credit: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
