Eight-Fight UFC Vet Luke Sanders Retires From MMA
Shortly after breaking the irons of his Ultimate Fighting Championship contract, “Cool Hand” Luke Sanders has called it a career.
On his Instagram on Wednesday, Sanders waved goodbye to the sport after eight bouts in the UFC and his release in May. Once the Resurrection Fighting Alliance champ at 135 pounds, Sanders climbed aboard the UFC roster in 2016 and won a trio of bouts, most significantly a knockout of former pound-for-pound talent Renan Barao.
Sanders wrote, “Cool Hand! Out! I’m officially retired after 8 UFC [fights] two performance of the night awards multiple records held in my own division. And whipping everybody’s ass that was put in front of me. It’s been a great ride…thank you to all my coaches, friends, Family, and fans All this was for y’all. Many blessing. All the love guys.”
The Tennessee native started his career off at a perfect 11-0, winning and defending the aforementioned RFA bantamweight throne before signing with the company. His debut came against Maximo Blanco, and he tapped his Venezuelan foe in impressive fashion in under four minutes. Four of his five defeats inside the Octagon did come via stoppage, and he did end his tenure with a pair of losses to Nathan Maness and Felipe Dias Colares. The bantamweight records in which he mentions in his Instagram post include being among the top five for the shortest average fight time at 7:22, least bottom position time, second-lowest bottom position percentage, and within the top five of the highest strikes landed per minute average.
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