Rashad Evans Calls It Quits From MMA: ‘I Feel Like I Have Other Things In Life’

25 Jun, 2018

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Suga” Rashad Evans is calling it quits from mixed martial arts.

“I don’t want to go out losing, or nothing like that, but at the same time it’s what I need,” Evans said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, which was streamed on ESPN’s Twitter account. “It’s what I need to do because I feel like I have other things in life that are calling me to go, too. I thought how hard it would be for me to really say these words or really make a statement about it, but I needed to. It’s part of me healing and just accepting the what-is. I can’t fool myself any longer about it.”

Suga fought at UFC 225 on June 9 against Anthony Smith. He lost via an early, first-round knee.

The day after his fight, Rashad posted on Instagram, seemingly hinting at his retirement by saying:

At one time FIGHTING was bigger than LIFE. Now LIFE is bigger than FIGHTING.It was easy to FIGHT for me because I came into this world raising hell FIGHTING. Then LIFE over time swaddled me like a parent does a screaming child and calmed me until I could see there was nothing to scream about.

At one time FIGHTING was bigger than LIFE. Now LIFE is bigger than FIGHTING. It was easy to FIGHT for me because I came into this world raising hell FIGHTING. Then LIFE over time swaddled me like a parent does a screaming child and calmed me until I could see there was nothing to scream about. LIFE reveals to us all one day its beauty and its GRACE. Part of its beauty and GRACE is SURRENDER. Not SURRENDER in the way we think but a yielding nature that allows LIFE'S true beauty to be seen without non attachment. Only through non attachment can we truly see the beauty of LIFE and its random but beautiful balance. Our attachments in LIFE gives us the pain that make LIFE unbearable at times. Those attachments keeps us all pretending to some degree even though we are scared to death of what tomorrow can bring. I am at peace at what happened last night. I am a true FIGHTER at heart and there is no greater peace than when I get a chance to bare my soul for millions to see. 24 times I was successful and I experienced heights I never would've dreamed were possible and 8 times I came up short. Those 8 times I came up short laid the true seeds of growth as a person. In each one of my defeats I learned more about LIFE which made me into the person I was destined to be. I thank my opponent Anthony Smith for giving me yet another chance to grow as a person. As for my future I do not know where I will go from here but I never did know anyways. I was just making it up as I went along. I joke but in reality that is the truth. In actuality none of us know what is ahead from one moment to the next. We all just hope it's something we want. Sometimes it is something we want and some times it isn't. But the secret in LIFE is accepting both as if you chose them. Which is true Alchemy. In the End what will be will be because that is all LIFE has ever been. Everything else is an illusion of the mind. I am well and I am beyond blessed for those of you waiting to text to me and don't know what to say.. (the first text is always awkward after someone has been ko'd). "Do I say good job, nice try, I love you or everything will be ok" Have a blessed day. @ryanloco

A post shared by Suga Rashad Evans (@sugarashadevans) on Jun 10, 2018 at 8:29am PDT

Rashad Evans was clearly not happy with the way his career ended — i.e., via a four-fight losing streak — but he chose to stay positive, trusting in “the process in life”:

I feel a little unsettled about the way my career ended, but I think I had to end this way. I don’t think I would have stopped if it didn’t end this way. Having it end this way, it was hard, but there’s no mistakes in life and it was necessary. I trust the process in life and I trust the universe, and God, and I know it’s going to decide what’s best for me.

On behalf of the Jiu-Jitsu Times, I wish “Suga” Rashad Evans nothing but the best in his future endeavors.