Joanne Wood, a veteran UFC fighter, has announced her retirement from professional fighting after a decade-long career, citing the physical and mental toll of the sport and her desire to focus on her family and life outside the octagon.
Joanne Wood’s 17th octagon walk marked the end of her pro career. It felt like her first time, she admits. The weight-cutting, the backstage jitters – it was all too familiar.
“This is stupid – this sucks,” she confessed on The MMA Hour. She questioned the whole process. “Why do we do this? It’s terrible every time.” She thought it would get easier, but it didn’t. In fact, it got worse.
Fast forward to last Saturday. Joanne Wood closed a decade-long career with a split decision win over Maryna Moroz at UFC 299. She avenged an earlier loss. She made it clear – this was her last fight. No turning back.
“Waking up tired and sore, it’s time for the next chapter,” she declared. She’s ready to enjoy her great life.
Joanne, now Mrs. Wood, is married to MMA coach John Wood. She plans to spend her days at Syndicate MMA, their training ground. She’s a mom to Wood’s son from a previous relationship. More family time is on the cards.
Thinking about her journey to this point, the flyweight UFC vet gets emotional. It’s been a long road. She found Syndicate after several gym stints, including some in her native Scotland, didn’t work out.
She had just moved to Las Vegas when a gym accident threatened her career. A spike to the canvas left her wondering if she’d ever move again, let alone fight. Or be with her future husband.
Retirement was an easy decision for Wood, an Invicta FC veteran. She was once set to fight for the title before an injury forced then-champ Valentina Shevchenko to pull out of UFC 251. Wood didn’t wait for the champ. She suffered a submission loss to Jennifer Maia in her next fight.
“I ain’t a spring chicken anymore,” Wood admitted. MMA training is hard. “The injuries, the physical and mental toll – it’s not easy. It gets harder as you age. I felt it was a good time to go out on a high.”
After her bout with Maia, Wood passed out backstage. She was rushed to the hospital. Her heart rate dropped dangerously. She “saw the light” in the ambulance. She was okay in the end, but she had a “hard think” about continuing to fight.
Six fights later, Wood ended her career on a two-fight winning streak. Her rematch camp with Moroz wasn’t smooth sailing. She injured her back two weeks before the fight. She had to tough out the rest of her training. So, retirement wasn’t a tough decision.
Wood’s octagon career ended with a slightly over .500 winning percentage at 9-8. She doesn’t dwell on what could’ve been with Shevchenko.
“There’s a lot I regret, but I’m not living on that,” she said. She’s happy in the present moment.
No more sauna agony. No more backstage jitters. That’s the present Wood wants to live in.