Former UFC slugger isn’t a fan of retirement fight announcements amid Anthony Smith’s loss

The UFC recently held a retirement fight in Kansas City for Anthony Smith, and he was stopped via bloody first-round TKO.

Smith mentioned in his post-fight interview that it was simply time to walk away from pro MMA competition. He admitted that he was getting older and wasn’t moving the way he used to inside the Octagon. “Lionheart” now looks forward to putting in more time as an analyst, along with other projects.

While Smith received a sendoff from the UFC, one former standup warrior doesn’t like the idea of retirement fight announcements.

RELATED: MICHAEL BISPING REACTS TO ANTHONY SMITH’S LOSS IN RETIREMENT FIGHT AT UFC KANSAS CITY

Are Retirement Fights Unnecessary?

The latest episode of MMAFighting.com‘s “The Fighter vs. The Writer,” featured a discussion on retirements. Retired UFC fighter Matt Brown feels fighters should just step away if they feel it’s time to hang up the gloves.

“Dana [White] has said it before, and I actually agree with him, if you’re already thinking about it, you should just stop now,” Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “Something along those lines.

“That’s why I’m not such a fan of guys planning their retirement fight. I get it. Some guys like Robbie Lawler, they handle it well and still go out there and get it done, but I think when you’ve already got a foot out the door, you’re probably going to be fighting a guy with two feet in the door. So it’s going to be a problem.”

MMA is a dangerous sport, and it’s a risk for a fighter who isn’t motivated to step inside the Octagon. It’s happened to many aging athletes in the past, but oftentimes the desire to compete and make money wins out. Brown ended his pro MMA career with a first-round knockout win over Court McGee, and many agreed it was the right time for him to retire.