Australian middleweight Dan Kelly will officially retire after his next fight.
After a stellar run inside the octagon which included a win over former UFC light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, Kelly is now now on a three fight loosing streak. Since making his UFC debut in 2014, he accumulated a UFC record of 6-4. Kelly won six of his first seven fights in the UFC but has been on the slide recently and lost to Tom Breese at UFC fight night 130 in Liverpool last May.
Last week, the 40 year-old announced on Submission radio that regardless of the outcome his next fight, it will be his last.
“This will be my last fight and my swansong,” Kelly said of a proposed fight with Zak Cummings at the UFC Adelaide show which will take place in December.
Kelly would like to fight on the Adelaide card but is also open to fighting in Melbourne next year if the UFC are planning on making a return to Victoria.
The Melbourne born fighter wants to finish his career with a fight in Australia and after American Zak Cummings (21-6) called him out recently, it is a match up that he would welcome.
“It’s a match up that makes a lot of sense and is very suitable to me, he’s a grappler and it’s always fun to go against grappler” Kelly said.
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Kelly will be 41 by the end of the year and sees the Cummings fight as the perfect way to finish his career. He has had no contact recently from the UFC and this will need to be addressed before any potential match up can be made.
Kelly also wants his 12 year old son Erik to be involved and hopes he will do the walk out with him.
“I would want him to walk out with me for the fight, it would be a special thing to share with him one last time.”
Kelly’s son has cystinosis and is currently in need of a kidney transplant.
Kelly is currently training new UFC signing Jimmy Crute and also runs a gym full time so has plenty of responsibilities outside of the octagon as he looks to enter a new chapter in his life.
Kelly made his UFC debut at the older age of 37 at UFC Sydney in November 2014 when he finished Luke Zachrich by kimura. After all he has done for the sport of MMA in Australia, it is the least he deserves and let’s hope his wish is granted.
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