Cathal Pendred: Retires From MMA “Lack of Passion”

Cathal Pendred from Dublin, Ireland calls it quits after dropping two straight losses in the UFC organization. Pendred (17-4-1 MMA) announced his retirement at age 28 . In a sport that requires 100% passion and dedication, it only makes sense why the SBG Ireland fighter has decided to call it quits. His passion still remains with MMA and he plans to still be involved in the sport in some capacity. Comments made by Pendred on social media point to a lack of passion to compete.

Pendred climbed up the ranks on the local fight circuit in Europe before going undefeated in the highly-respected Cage Warriors Fighting Championship promotion, going 5-0-1 prior to signing with the UFC. A statement given by Pedred on social media shed light on his retirement.

“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 discipline 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,” Pendred posted.

The Irish fighter eventually became a cast member on the ninteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) where he made it to the tournament’s semifinals, losing to recent UFC castoff Eddie Gordon. He was a part of B.J. Penn’s team. Pendred went 4-2 inside the Octagon and holds wins over Che Mills, Sean Spencer, Nico Musoke, David Bielkheden and Gasan Umalatov. With Pended retiring at 28 and being a large contributor to SBG Ireland, will the Dublin native find his inner fighting spirit again and make the walk back to MMA?