In a very emotional video posted on the WSOF Facebook fan page, Newell detailed why he feels it's time to step away from the fight game. You can check out the video along with our transcription below.
"You know, I'm only 29-years-old, but I want to have a future, I want to be able to have a good body when I get older. One day, I'd like to have kids and be able to play with them. I know that's kind of an extreme thing, but I didn't get to where I am today by just being a natural.
I'm sorry, this is very emotional for me. I got to where I am from hard work, and that takes a toll on your body. These past couple training camps have been really hard for me, and just really hard on my body. It's just...it's just my time. I don't want to be a guy that just fights for a...for a paycheck [obviously overcome with emotion at this point].
I want to be a guy that fights because he loves it. I don't want to cheat myself of my best performances, and I don't feel like I'm the fighter I could be, because my body is just not reacting the same way it used to. I just don't have it in me anymore, so this is my last one, a hometown fight that I won. It wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world, but I didn't really get to train much for this fight. It was injury after injury. I had terrible luck, and uh, it's time."
WSOF: Nick Newell explains retirement in emotional video interview - Bloody Elbow
Nick Newell appeared on the MMA Hour on Monday giving more details behind his decision to retire. As reported on MMAFighiting's website:
"It was the right decision for me, I feel. In the end, time will tell. For me, it's been really tough training for these fights. I feel like I underperformed my last three fights and I felt like, really, it was out of my control," he told Ariel Helwani on Monday's The MMA Hour. "I've been dealing with a lot of injuries throughout my fight camps. Every time, it just seems like I get some momentum going, I get hurt and I can't do anything, so I gotta take it easy and I gotta not train and I gotta step back.
Then when I fight, my cardio becomes an issue because I haven't been train as hard as I should be when I have these important fights coming up. It just seems like I have a bunch of things that keep coming back even if I take care of them proper. It's just a little overwhelming for me. I don't want to treat my fans or anyone that likes me to a watered-down version of me. I want the best version of me possible. I just felt like it was time to step away."
Newell continued,"Really for this fight, I only got to train a week and a half, two weeks for it because I completely hurt my back. I couldn't even move. I looked like a 90-year-old man walking around. I really wanted to do this fight and I really thought I would be able to perform and my performance was not to my standards. It's not the type of performance I would want people to remember me for. It's not the type of performance I have shown in the past, that I'm capable of much better. I just don't want to have my career be like that. I want to be an entertaining fighter.
"At the end of the day, it is about winning and doing your best," he continued. "I don't feel like I can perform at my best anymore."
The remainder of the transcription and video of the interview is available here.
"You know, I'm only 29-years-old, but I want to have a future, I want to be able to have a good body when I get older. One day, I'd like to have kids and be able to play with them. I know that's kind of an extreme thing, but I didn't get to where I am today by just being a natural.
I'm sorry, this is very emotional for me. I got to where I am from hard work, and that takes a toll on your body. These past couple training camps have been really hard for me, and just really hard on my body. It's just...it's just my time. I don't want to be a guy that just fights for a...for a paycheck [obviously overcome with emotion at this point].
I want to be a guy that fights because he loves it. I don't want to cheat myself of my best performances, and I don't feel like I'm the fighter I could be, because my body is just not reacting the same way it used to. I just don't have it in me anymore, so this is my last one, a hometown fight that I won. It wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world, but I didn't really get to train much for this fight. It was injury after injury. I had terrible luck, and uh, it's time."
WSOF: Nick Newell explains retirement in emotional video interview - Bloody Elbow
Nick Newell appeared on the MMA Hour on Monday giving more details behind his decision to retire. As reported on MMAFighiting's website:
"It was the right decision for me, I feel. In the end, time will tell. For me, it's been really tough training for these fights. I feel like I underperformed my last three fights and I felt like, really, it was out of my control," he told Ariel Helwani on Monday's The MMA Hour. "I've been dealing with a lot of injuries throughout my fight camps. Every time, it just seems like I get some momentum going, I get hurt and I can't do anything, so I gotta take it easy and I gotta not train and I gotta step back.
Then when I fight, my cardio becomes an issue because I haven't been train as hard as I should be when I have these important fights coming up. It just seems like I have a bunch of things that keep coming back even if I take care of them proper. It's just a little overwhelming for me. I don't want to treat my fans or anyone that likes me to a watered-down version of me. I want the best version of me possible. I just felt like it was time to step away."
Newell continued,"Really for this fight, I only got to train a week and a half, two weeks for it because I completely hurt my back. I couldn't even move. I looked like a 90-year-old man walking around. I really wanted to do this fight and I really thought I would be able to perform and my performance was not to my standards. It's not the type of performance I would want people to remember me for. It's not the type of performance I have shown in the past, that I'm capable of much better. I just don't want to have my career be like that. I want to be an entertaining fighter.
"At the end of the day, it is about winning and doing your best," he continued. "I don't feel like I can perform at my best anymore."
The remainder of the transcription and video of the interview is available here.
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