There’s one thing that Dana White has consistently said in the past that still rings true today, and that is this, “(Fighting) isn’t a long-term ******* job”. This is true of anyone who puts on the gloves whether you are a legendary figure in the sport of MMA or just some guy who spent the last ten years getting tooled around an octagon. So, as the sport is maturing right before our eyes (the UFC just hit the 20 year mark), it’s inevitable that some of our favorite fighters are hanging up the gloves… or at least they should.

Leben, Silva, St. Pierre, and the Question of Retirement

Let’s take for example Chris “the Crippler” Leben. It’s hard to say whether or not you would call Leben’s career “legendary”, but you can safely say the guy had a good run in the world of mma. He started off in 2002 and made a name for himself as a hard-hitting, brawling psychopath. However, you don’t get a reputation as a spazz who goes for the KO without accruing a bit of damage yourself.  In his last fight with Uriah Hall, Leben got knocked around so much in the first round that he didn’t want to go back in. After that fight, he announced his retirement and that was a wise decision.

Now, saying Chris Leben makes better life decisions than Anderson Silva doesn’t feel right deep down inside. Unfortunately, when it comes knowing when the show is over, that’s the conclusion I’ve recently been forced to make. According to UFC.com, Silva is already back to training a mere month after breaking his leg on Chris Weidman’s shin at UFC 168.  The Spider can’t wait to get back into octagon and get back to business of fighting. But, if there is such a thing as a sign that it’s time to stop fighting, I’d say breaking one of the strongest parts of your body trying to attack an opponent would be it.  On top of that, if you tweet a picture of yourself walking down some stairs, and it looks more painful than any of your fights, you may want to think long and hard about fighting again. I guess what I’m trying to say is, Anderson Silva should not return to octagon. After all, the only difference between a legendary fighter and a beat up old man is whether or not they know when to stop.

Speaking of knowing when to stop, it’s not really clear if George St. Pierre does. The Canadian fighter recently decided to vacate his title take an “indefinite hiatus” from the UFC and the sport of MMA. While leaving the door open for a possible return would normally be considered a good idea, I’m not sure how much of a return a man who admittedly blacks out during fights can possibly make. On top of that, once your trainer (the guy whose job it is to keep you safe while working out) has openly admitted that it wouldn’t be safe for you to keep up the training regimen that you currently have, it’s pretty much game over. Walking away does not take away from the status a fighter like GSP has earned over his years in the sport. On the contrary, it adds legitimacy and professionalism to something commonly viewed as brutish.

We all know that this list could be extended to include a lot more people who may want to move on to greener pastures. During a recent twitter war with Tyrone Spong (that kind of came out of nowhere), Quinton Rampage Jackson even admitted that he’s “old” and “washed up” (his words). Why a man so defeated would continue to attempt to fight is beyond the realm of logic. The point is that if the sport is going to progress, there has to be room for fresh young faces. But, for this to happen, some of the old ones have to fade away.

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