– As noted yesterday, a rematch between Alexander Gustafsson and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is one step closer to becoming a reality after Gustafsson scored a second-round TKO victory over Jimi Manuwa at yesterday’s UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa event in London, England.
– UFC veteran Cyrille Diabate, who lost to Ilir Latifi via first round submission at yesterday’s event, announced that he is retiring from the sport. Diabate stated after the fight that he was ready to move on.
“This is my last, I’ve been fighting 22 years in various combat sports,” Diabate said at the post-fight press conference. “I’ve had a fantastic career. I’ve enjoyed myself. That’s the main part and most important part, enjoying yourself. And that’s it, you know, It’s time to move on. I’ve got plans. I want to open up a Snake Team in central Paris. I’ve got some acting to do. You know, I’ve got plans, I’ve just put so many things to the side for 22 years. When you want to be a professional fighter and compete at this kind of level, you’ve got to be 100 percent focused and 100% fighter in your mind, so it’s time to move on.”
Diabate leaves the sport with a 19-10-1 record.
– Speaking of retirement, Chael Sonnen stated on the most recent episode of UFC Tonight that the recent TRT ban issued by the Nevada State Athletic Commission may lead to him having to end his fighting career. Sonnen has been using TRT since being diagnosed with hypogonadism in 2008.
“The first thing I need to do is reserve my right to change this answer in a few weeks if I need to,” Sonnen said. “There are a lot of moving parts. I don’t have all the information. Bottom line is testosterone is out. If this retires guys, then it retires guys. The rules are the rules and they need to be followed. I’ve had to stop with the testosterone with the hope we can find a new ways of keeping my testosterone at the healthy levels. If it doesn’t work, I might have to stop the sport.”
