Kiefer Crosbie is ready to move on from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
The 35-year-old Irish welterweight suffered a devastating foul followed by a first-round knockout loss to Taiyilake Nueraji in his last outing at UFC Shanghai. The experience left him frustrated not just by the loss, but also by what he described as a disturbing lack of support where he was “treated like a dog” from the promotion in the aftermath (details here).
Now, Crosbie says he’s officially done with the Octagon and wants out of his contract.
“Funny enough, the UFC actually hasn’t cut me or released me, and I don’t know what the game plan is there,” Crosbie said in a video on his Instagram. “Maybe they want to honor me with another fight, because I was f—ked over so bad the last time. But to be completely honest with you, I would like to ask for a release. I have no desire to step foot in the Octagon. I achieved what I achieved. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the results. That’s sport, that’s life, that’s the way it goes. I have to live with them demons for the rest of me life. And that’s just part of the game.”
Crosbie, who holds a 10-6 professional record, acknowledged that his UFC stint didn’t go as planned, with three consecutive first-round finishes leaving him without a win in the promotion. Still, he remains passionate about combat sports and says he has several avenues he wants to explore outside of MMA.
“I still have a good few years of fighting left in me,” Crosbie added. “I’d love to get back in, straight back into the gym, and explore different avenues, go down the boxing route, and different avenues…it’s definitely time to hang them MMA gloves up and lace up the bigger ones and do something else to make money while I still can.”
If the UFC grants his release, Crosbie will leave the promotion without a victory, but with the door open for other combat sports ventures, potentially in boxing or regional promotions where he can continue to showcase his skills.
