UFC heavyweight Juan Espino announced his retirement from mixed martial arts due to injury, ending his career with a 10-2 record.
Juan Espino, a UFC heavyweight, has decided to retire from mixed martial arts following a series of injuries. As the winner of season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter, Espino only competed in the octagon three times after earning a contract on the reality show in 2018, ending his career with a 10-2 record. In an Instagram post on Friday, Espino announced his decision to hang up his gloves for good.
Espino reflected on his journey in the sport, saying, “An incredible journey to get to be among the best fighters in the world and I did it, maybe it wasn’t the way I wanted it to be, but the injuries don’t leave me any other choice.” He expressed gratitude towards those who supported him during his career, including the UFC, sponsors, coaches, training partners, and teams.
After capturing the season title with a first-round submission win over Justin Frazier at the TUF 28 Finale in November 2018, Espino, also known as “El Guapo,” didn’t compete again until September 2020. During that match, he submitted Jeff Hughes at UFC 253, before losing his final bout to Alexandr Romanov via technical decision at UFC Vegas 24 in April 2021. Now, with retirement on the horizon, Espino looks back on his career as an incredible journey, despite its unexpected ending due to injuries.