Dhiego Lima – Syndication Server

Farewell, fighters: A list of former UFC champs and more MMA notables who retired in 2022

The MMA world said goodbye to more than 35 notable fighters in 2022, from former UFC champions to future UFC Hall of Famers and more.

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently fighters from the era that helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves to move on to the next chapters in their lives.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete and, perhaps more importantly, get a payday will continue to drive fighters back, even well beyond their expiration dates.

In 2022, there was an uptick in notable fighters announcing they are retired, and we have a list of those who opted to walk away last year.

UFC veteran, ‘TUF’ finalist Dhiego Lima announces MMA retirement

The only two-time finalist in the history of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Dhiego Lima, is calling it a career.

The only two-time finalist in the history of “The Ultimate Fighter,” [autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag], is retiring from MMA.

Lima (15-9 MMA, 4-7 UFC) announced Wednesday, just days after the 12-year anniversary of his debut, that he will no longer continue with active competition.

The 33-year-old posted a statement on social media and said he believes a higher power made it clear that he should no longer fight (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZxO9-FPyQ4

“THANK YOU ALL!! OBRIGADO A TODOS!!!

“Hey guys I am making this post to announce that I will be retiring from fighting. My timing and Gods timing is completely different, I feel like I’m in my prime but he has bigger and better plans for my life. I know when God speaks to me and he was clear that my fighting days are over. Thank you for everyone that has supported me through this journey. One thing I do is obey God even when I don’t want to and that’s the a lesson I hope you take from this, his plans are always better. Thank you @ufc for my career and always taking care of me I will be around as a coach there because I have plenty of young guns that will make it and I will be there for them!!”

Lima, who is the younger brother of former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima, made his MMA debut in February 2010. He won nine of 10 fights to open his career and was invited to join Season 19 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.

Upon making it to the finals of the tournament, Lima suffered a first-round knockout loss to Eddie Gordon in his official UFC debut in July 2014. He would lose two of his next three octagon appearances before being released from the company.

Lima got a second chance, however, on Season 25 of “TUF,” which featured a complete cast of fighters trying to make it back to the UFC. He advanced to the final but would again fall short of the crown with a loss to Jesse Taylor.

Despite the defeat, Lima was signed to the UFC where he would fight out the remainder of this career. He went 3-3 in his second stint, facing notables such as Matt Brown, Belal Muhammad, Court McGee, and Yushin Okami.

The Brazilian was scheduled to fight Miguel Baeza at UFC Fight Night on April 16 before making his announcement.

Lima retires from the sport with four knockout and four submission wins on his record.

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UFC books Miguel Baeza vs. Dhiego Lima for April 16 event

Welterweights Miguel Baeza and Dhiego Lima will look to rebound when they square off in April.

Welterweights [autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag] and [autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag] will look to rebound when they square off in April.

Baeza (10-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) meets Lima (15-9 MMA, 4-7 UFC) at a UFC Fight Night event on April 16, which doesn’t yet have a publicly known venue or location.

Both fighters confirmed the booking on social media Monday following an initial report from Best Fight Picks.

Baeza, a Dana White’s Contender Series graduate, will look to snap a two-fight losing skid after an unbeaten start to his pro MMA career. After a “Fight of the Night” war against Santiago Ponzinibbio in June, Baeza was stopped in the third round by Khaos Williams at UFC Fight Night 197 in November.

Lima is also coming off back-to-back losses. “The Ultimate Fighter 25” finalist scored three straight octagon wins, including a victory over Court McGee, but then dropped a decision to Belal Muhammad and, most recently, a knockout loss to Matt Brown in June.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night on April 16 lineup includes:

Brandon Jenkins vs. Drakkar Klose
Miguel Baeza vs. Dhiego Lima

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UFC on ESPN 25 medical suspensions: Chan Sung Jung among seven facing six months

Seven fighters, including headliner Chan Sung Jung, are facing up to six months off after UFC on ESPN 25.

[autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] is back in the win column but could be sidelined for up to six months after UFC on ESPN 25.

Jung defeated Dan Ige in a back-and-forth battle in the main event, but he needs his left shoulder checked out after he dislocated it in the fight.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie acquired the full list of UFC on ESPN 25 medical suspensions handed out by the Nevada Athletic Commission from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

Also suffering an arm injury in her fight was [autotag]Kanako Murata[/autotag], who was stopped by Virna Jandiroba in the second round. Murata’s elbow was dislocated in the first round after Jandiroba secured a deep armbar, but she refused to tap and fought the entire second round with a compromised arm. The cageside doctor eventually decided to stop the fight after Round 2 after seeing the condition of her arm.

[autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag], who was defeated by Marlon Vera in a “Fight of the Night” effort, also is potentially facing a 180-day term. Grant must have his nasal bone fracture cleared by a doctor before he can return to competition.

Rounding off the six-month suspension list is [autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag], who needs an MRI on his right knee; [autotag]Matthew Semelsberger[/autotag], who needs an X-ray on his nose; [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag], who needs his nasal fracture cleared; and [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag], who needs an X-ray on her left hand.

The full list of UFC on ESPN 25 medical suspensions can be seen below.

UFC on ESPN 25 results: Matt Brown faceplants Dhiego Lima with brutal one-punch KO

Dhiego Lima was having success vs. Matt Brown – until “The Immortal” landed one-hitter quitter.

“How’s that for 40, b*tch?”

That’s the question [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] barked into the camera moments after his one-punch knockout of [autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 25 on Saturday. The stoppage came at 3:02 of Round 2.

The welterweight bout was part of the UFC on ESPN 25 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+.

Through the opening eight minutes, Brown (23-18 MMA, 16-12 UFC) and Lima (15-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC) engaged in a back-and-forth kicking battle. Though Brown landed his fair share of hard leg kicks to Lima’s thighs, it was the Brazilian who landed heavier and more often – his kicks landing on the American’s calf.

In Round 2, the fighters engaged in the clinch often. Just past the midway point of the fight, Brown broke the clinch with a knee to Lima’s body. The two exchanged and Brown connected with a punch to the body. Moments later, Brown connected with a violent overhand right that faceplanted Lima. The fight was promptly waived off.

OUT OF NOWHERE 🤯@IamTheImmortal only needed one shot at #UFCVegas29 pic.twitter.com/52yWQ8WJxc

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 19, 2021

Brown, 40, snaps a two-fight losing skid with his first victory since December 2019. He has now won three of his most recent five outings. Prior to the fight, the 13-year UFC veteran indicated the end of his career was nearing but did not outline a specific timeline for when he’ll hang up the gloves.

As for Lima, the loss is his second in a row with the skid coming on the heels of a three-fight losing streak. The back-to-back defeats are the first consecutive losses Lima has endured since 2017-2018.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 25 results include:

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqvpne7c1q486dvv player_id=none image=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

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UFC on ESPN 25 predictions: ‘Korean Zombie’ or Dan Ige in featherweight showdown?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 25 main card in Las Vegas, featuring Chan Sung Jung vs. Dan Ige.

	Jung vs. Ige	Oleinik vs. Spivac	Grant vs. Vera	Choi vs. Erosa	Silva vs. Turman	Brown vs. Lima
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 81-53	Jung (62%)	Oleinik (57%)	Vera (81%)	Erosa (53%)	Silva (65%)	Brown (51%)
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 82-52	Jung	Spivac	Vera	Choi	Silva	Lima
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 81-53	Ige	Oleinik	Vera	Erosa	Silva	Brown
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 81-53 2014 Champion	Jung	Spivac	Vera	Erosa	Silva	Lima
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 80-54	Ige	Spivac	Vera	Choi	Silva	Lima
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 80-54 2018 Champion	Jung	Spivac	Grant	Choi	Silva	Brown
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 79-55	Ige	Oleinik	Vera	Choi	Silva	Lima
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 79-55	Ige	Oleinik	Vera	Choi	Silva	Lima
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 78-56 2020 Champion	Ige	Oleinik	Vera	Erosa	Silva	Brown
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 77-57 2017 Champion	Ige	Spivac	Vera	Erosa	Silva	Brown
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 76-58	Jung	Spivac	Vera	Choi	Silva	Lima
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 75-59	Ige	Spivac	Vera	Choi	Silva	Lima
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 75-59	Jung	Spivac	Vera	Choi	Silva	Brown
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 11-7	Ige	Spivac	Vera	Erosa	Silva	Lima
BetMGM Betting Favorites	Ige -125	Spivac -225	Vera -200	Choi -150	Silva -135	Lima -185

The UFC is back this week with a longtime fan favorite against a rising star at the top of the lineup.

UFC on ESPN 25 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, “The Korean Zombie,” [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC), takes on [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) at featherweight. Ige is a slight -125 betting favorite at BetMGM, and it’s pretty close in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, too. They’ve got Ige with an 8-5 advantage.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-15-1 MMA, 8-6 UFC) meets [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. Spivac is a -225 favorite and has a big 9-4 picks lead.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (18-7-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a bantamweight bout. Vera is a 2-1 favorite at the betting window, and he’s a near-unanimous pick from our staff members at 12-1.

[autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 3-4 UFC) is a slight underdog at +125 against [autotag]Seungwoo Choi[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC). Choi, the -150 favorite, has an 8-5 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) only is a -120 favorite in his middleweight fight against [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC). Silva is returning for the first time since November 2018. But despite those facts, our staff members have him as the main card’s only unanimous pick.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] (22-18 MMA, 15-12 UFC) meets [autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC) at welterweight. Lima is a -185 favorite, and he’s got an 8-5 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Jung (62 percent), Oleinik (57 percent), Vera (81 percent), Erosa (53 percent), Silva (65 percent) and Brown (51 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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UFC on ESPN 25 pre-event facts: Matt Brown aims to tie all-time knockout record

The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 25, which features a Chan Sung Jung vs. Dan Ige main event.

The UFC returns to its home base of Las Vegas on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 25, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a lineup set to air on ESPN2 and stream on ESPN+.

Featherweight contenders clash in the main event of the night. Chan Sung Jung (16-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will attempt to return to the win column after losing a title eliminator against Brain Ortega when he takes on Dan Ige (15-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in an important bout for the division.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 35 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 25.

Matt Brown vs. Dhiego Lima set for UFC’s June 19 event

Welterweights Matt Brown and Dhiego Lima will look to rebound when they square off on June 19.

A pair of welterweights will look to rebound on June 19.

[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] (22-18 MMA, 15-12 UFC) will take on [autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC) in an event which does not yet have a confirmed venue or location.

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Fighting was first to report the news.

After picking up back-to-back knockouts of Diego Sanchez and Ben Saunders, 40-year-old Brown has lost his last two bouts – a knockout defeat to Miguel Baeza and, most recently, a unanimous decision to Carlos Condit at UFC on ABC 1 in January. Brown offered to face Dan Hardy, who was looking for a fight, but the UFC opted to go in a different direction.

A two-time finalist on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Lima saw his three-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Belal Muhammad at UFC 258 in February. Prior to that loss, the Brazilian scored wins over Chad Laprise, Court McGee and Luke Jumeau.

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UFC 258 medical suspensions: Kamaru Usman among eight facing potential six-month layoff

Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is among eight fighters who could be facing lengthy time off after UFC 258.

UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] could be sidelined for up to six months after his most recent title defense.

Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC), who retained his title after stopping [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) in the third round of the UFC 258 main event, will need doctor clearance for his right foot or he could be looking at a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Joining Usman with potential 180-day terms is [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag], who defeated [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] via unanimous decision. Grasso (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) must have an X-ray and MRI on her right knee. Barber (8-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC), who returned after more than a year away, could be facing time on the shelf again, requiring an MRI on her right shoulder.

MMA Junkie on Tuesday obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commissions’ official record keeper.

The full list of UFC 258 medical suspensions includes:

Kamaru Usman: Needs X-ray of right foot, and clearance by doctor, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
Gilbert Burns: Needs right eyebrow and left orbital lacerations cleared by doctor, otherwise suspended 45 days; minimum suspension is 30 days.
Maycee Barber: Needs MRI of right shoulder, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
Alexa Grasso: Needs X-ray and MRI of right knee, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact.
[autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact.
[autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact.
[autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact.
[autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with 45 days no contact.
[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: Needs X-ray of right hand, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 21 days with 14 days no contact.
[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag]: Needs X-ray of nose, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 45 days with 30 days no contact.
[autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag]: Needs MRI of right elbow, and clearance by doctor, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
[autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: Needs X-ray of nose, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
[autotag]Gabriel Green[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact due to left eye laceration.
[autotag]Phil Rowe[/autotag]: Needs X-ray of left knee, and clearance by doctor, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.

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UFC 258 post-event facts: Kamaru Usman’s resume hits legendary status

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 258, which saw Kamaru Usman defend his welterweight title vs. in the main event.

The UFC hosted its second pay-per-view of the year on Saturday with UFC 258, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with 10 fighters on a heavily-altered card.

In the main event, [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) showed there’s no going back in the conversation about him being an all-time great in the welterweight division when he battered Gilbert Burns (19-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) for a third-round TKO to secure his third title defense at 170 pounds.

Usman’s name is all over the record books with the win, and for more on the numbers, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC 258.