UFC, Strikeforce vet Pat Healy retires following loss at ACB 78
Pat Healy has put enough miles on his well-traveled body.
The UFC and Strikeforce veteran announced via Facebook he was calling it a career shortly after falling to Magomed Raisov by first-round TKO at ACB 78 on Saturday, and now aims to earn a long elusive black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu:
Thanks everyone for your support. Disappointing performance to say the least. I thought about this a lot recently and that was my last fight. I can no longer compete at a high level. It's been a hell of a ride. I've gone places and seen things I never thought I would. I've had a chance to make friends and memories all over the world. MMA gave me a life I only could have dreamed of. I will now focus on helping the next generation become successful and finally getting my BJJ black belt.
Healy, 34, made over 30 walks to the cage under a variety of banners from the IFL to WEC to King of the Cage as a welterweight - even putting in one UFC appearance in 2006 - before joining Strikeforce's lightweight division in 2010. The seasoned vet put his streaky ways behind him while competing in the Scott Coker-led outfit, going 7-1 over a three-year stint in the Strikeforce cage. Healy was one of many to move to the UFC upon Strikeforce's dissolution in 2013, but his second wind wouldn't follow him to the big show.
After becoming just the second man to submit lightweight stalwart and Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Jim Miller in his promotional debut at UFC 159, Healy saw the W overturned mere weeks later due to a positive marijuana test. He wouldn't get his hand raised in the Octagon again and saw his UFC run end with his release in 2014 after dropping four straight decisions to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jorge Masvidal, Bobby Green, and Gleison Tibau.
Healy later took his talents to Titan FC - where he won a lightweight title he was later stripped of for missing weight - then to Russia's ACB, losing two of three by first-round stoppage.
He hangs up his gloves with a professional record of 34-24.