UFC's Mike Guymon "at peace" with retirement decision, nursing rib and back injuries

http://mmajunkie.com/news/22213/ufcs-mike-guymon-at-peace-with-retirement-nursing-rib-and-back-injuries.mma

by Dann Stupp

UFC welterweight Mike "Joker" Guymon is officially retired from the sport, and he's "at peace" with that decision.

After a tough loss to DaMarques Johnson at this past weekend's "UFC Fight Night 23: UFC Fight for the Troops 2" event at Fort Hood in Texas, Guymon suggested t in a UFC.com interview that his retirement was imminent.

Today, Guymon, who's healing from rib and back injuries sustained in the fight, confirmed the decision with MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) but said he'll continue training other fighters.

"It's too hard on my heart and mind," Guymon said. "That's when I knew it was time.

"I'm at peace with retirement. I accomplished all I wanted to accomplish in MMA."

Guymon, 36, is an 11-year pro and former King of the Cage welterweight champion. He signed with the UFC in late 2009 and went 1-3 in the organization, which included a unanimous-decision victory over former GCM welterweight grand-prix champion Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 113.

This past weekend, he suffered a first-round submission loss to Johnson (12-8 MMA, 3-2 UFC) due to a triangle body lock. Guymon (12-5-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) was forced to submit verbally after Johnson's vise-like grip injured him in the first round.

"I had a problem with the rib, and two vertebrae have a problem there too," he said. "It's ruptured discs and takes four to six weeks (to heal), the doctor says. I'll be fine. I don't need a wheelchair or anything like that."

Guymon, who runs Joker's MMA academy in California, is a true fan favorite. Additionally, he's a favorite among his fellow fighters, including Johnson, who formed a bond with Guymon during their fight-week run-ins. (Their weigh-in face-off photo opportunity provided one of the event's most memorable moments.)

But prior to signing with the UFC, he was in a dark place that resulted in a suicide attempt. Since the near-tragic event, Guymon said he just hasn't been the type of person he needs to be in the cage.

"(With) the old 'Joker,' my mentality was there's not a damn thing you were going to do to stop me," he said. "I was a mean SOB. I was like, 'I have a fire burning in me, and you can't stop me.'

"But ever since the incident when I tried to take my life, they put me on medicine. ... It really changed me. I couldn't find myself in training, that fire I had within me. In the Johnson fight, it was like I was watching myself on TV and not really there.

"I just don't have that fire anymore. I can't go into fights like that. When I go into fights, I want to go in there to fight."

So is he really calling it quits from the sport? This isn't a snap decision?

"Yeah, I'm done," he said. "It breaks my heart to have it come to an end like that, but it had to come to an end."

Guymon, though, said he's just thankful he had the opportunity to fight on MMA's biggest stage before he called it quits. He specifically thanked UFC matchmaker Joe Silva for granting his wish. He said from UFC president Dana White to co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta to "the makeup girl, drivers" and live-events coordinator Burt Watson, he had a second family with the UFC.

"Everybody involved in the UFC is so great at what they do and good with people and good with fighters," he said. "They treat everyone with total respect."

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 23, check out the UFC Events section of MMAjunkie.com.