Carlos Condit retiring from MMA

Former interim UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit has retired from MMA, his manager confirmed Thursday, per MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz and Damon Martin.

Condit leaves the sport after nearly 12 years with the promotion. He is considered one of the more exciting welterweights of his generation.

"The Natural Born Killer" debuted in 2002, making his first big splash on a regional circuit tournament. He went on to knock out UFC veteran Renato "Charuto" Verissimo and submit former UFC title contender Frank Trigg.

Condit earned the welterweight title in his second bout under the WEC promotion with a submission victory over John Alessio. He then successfully defended his belt three consecutive times before joining the UFC.

After a split-decision loss to Martin Kampmann in his debut, Condit reeled off five straight wins that include knockouts over Dan Hardy and Rory MacDonald. He became the interim welterweight champion following a unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz.

Condit was unable to earn the outright title of welterweight after Georges St. Pierre defeated him at UFC 154.

The 37-year-old had struggled to stay in the win column over the past five years and dropped his last fight against Max Griffin in July via unanimous decision.

Condit concludes his MMA career with a 32-14 record.