Leah Letson – Syndication Server

2023 MMA retirement tracker: A list of former UFC champions, legends and more who hung up the gloves

The MMA world already has said goodbye to many retiring fighters in 2023, from former UFC champions to icons of the sport.

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

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.

2023 has seen an uptick in notable fighters announcing they are done with the sport, and we have a list of those who have opted to walk away this year (the list will update as new retirements are announced).

UFC featherweight Leah Letson announces MMA retirement: ‘I simply don’t love fighting the way I used to’

UFC fighter Leah Letson walks away from MMA.

[autotag]Leah Letson[/autotag] has hung up the gloves.

The UFC women’s featherweight announced her retirement from MMA on Monday in a lengthy Instagram post. Letson (5-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who most recently competed in November 2021, cited the loss of love for the sport, plus its taxing nature, as the main reasons why she decided to walk away.

Letson competed twice under the UFC banner. She made her debut with a split decision win over Julija Stoliarenko at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale in 2018. After health battles with hyperthyroidism and subsequent depression, Letson then returned in 2021 when she lost by TKO to former UFC title challenger Felicia Spencer in a third round TKO at UFC Fight Night 197.

These pair of performance followed a run on “TUF 28”, when she competed in the women’s featherweight tournament. Letson defeated Bea Malecki in the opening round of the bracket, but lost to eventual winner Macy Chiasson in the semi-finals.

Below is Letson’s statement announcing her retirement from MMA:

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven,” -Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

“It is with mixed emotions I am announcing my official #retirement from MMA. Although it is somewhat sad to say goodbye to the sport that has been a part of me for so long, it is something that I have been thinking about for a while, and know I need to do. I have accomplished what I set out to accomplish: I made it to the biggest #MMA stage in the world with the #UFC. I was even able to compete on The Ultimate Fighter show. At my peak, I was ranked #9 in the world and I am proud to have had a successful career. However, it is important to know when to hang it up. For me, that time is now.

“When I first started the sport, I had such a strong passion and love for MMA that I was willing to do whatever it took to be successful. After years of over-training, under-eating and enduring emotional abuse, I developed such severe health issues that I almost died. It took 3 whole years of extreme dedication to my doctor’s orders and countless medical bills to get my health back on track. I was able to overcome and accomplish not just getting myself to a normal level of healthy again, but I was able to get myself back into fighting shape and endure an entire fight camp. It was at that point, I knew I was getting burned out on the sport, but I had to prove to myself and the world that I could do it. I did. After 3 years of struggling, I stepped into the cage with the former title contender and I held my own. Though it wasn’t the outcome I had hoped for, I was so proud of myself for overcoming huge mental and physical hurdles and #fighting again.

“After that fight, I feel have nothing more to prove to myself, and most importantly, I simply don’t love fighting the way I used to. Fighting is just as much mental as it is physical; therefore, if you’re head isn’t in it anymore, fighting can be a real dangerous sport. I have no regrets. Martial Arts will always be a part of who I am, but I will no longer be fighting for a living.
I want to thank all of my dedicated fans that have supported me for so long. I hope that you continue to follow me and my story. I know God has great plans for me!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnN12gVtwWX/

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UFC Fight Night 197: Felicia Spencer vs. Leah Letson odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 197 odds and lines between Felicia Spencer vs. Leah Letson, with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a women’s featherweight bout on the main card, Felicia Spencer meets Leah Letson Saturday at UFC Fight Night 197 – also known as UFC Vegas 42. Below, we analyze the UFC Fight Night 197 Spencer vs. Letson odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

The card can be viewed on ESPN+ with the prelims at 1 p.m. ET and the main card at 4 p.m. ET.

Spencer, a.k.a. “FeeNom”, dropped each of her last two fights, including a tight bout at UFC 250 against Amanda Nunes in June 2020. She also was dropped via split-decision against Norma Dumont her last time out in May. Three of her last four fights have resulted in losses at the hands of the judges and she is just 2-3 since arriving at the UFC level.

Letson will be making her UFC debut. She posted a split-decision win over Julija Stoliarenko at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale Nov. 30, 2018. She has had a long layoff due to serious health issues, including digestive and thyroid issues, but has been cleared to resume her career.

UFC Fight Night 197 Spencer vs. Letson: Odds and lines

Odds via Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:23 a.m. ET.

Fight result (2-way line): Spencer -380 (bet $380 to win $100) | Letson +270 (bet $100 to win $270)
Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -240 | Under +165)
Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -210 | No +150)

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UFC Fight Night 197 Spencer vs. Letson: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Records: Spencer (8-3-0) | Letson (5-2-0)

Fight result (2-way line or money line)

Spencer (-340) will cost you over three times your potential return, and that’s still too risky despite the fact Letson hasn’t taken the walk to the octagon in nearly three full calendar years.

I am feeling SPENCER BY SUBMISSION (+255) as the play in this one. She has won four times by way of submission in 11 professional fights, and Letson hasn’t fought in three years. If she goes down to the canvas, how good will her defenses be after such a long hiatus?

Over/Under (O/U)

NO (+150): FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE is a solid value at plus money. Letson will be hard-pressed to last the whole time in the octagon in her first fight since late 2018. As mentioned above, I like Spencer to tap her out so UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (+165) is also worth a look.

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UFC Fight Night 197 predictions: Max Holloway is unanimous, but what about Yadong?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 197 main card, featuring Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez.

	Holloway vs. Rodriguez	de Lima vs. Rothwell	Letson vs. Spencer	Baeza vs. Williams	Arce vs. Yadong
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 190-104	Holloway (88%)	Rothwell (72%)	Spencer (86%)	Baeza (51%)	Yadong (81%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 194-100	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 188-106	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 184-110 2014 Champion	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 182-112 2020 Champion	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Arce
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 182-112	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 181-113	Holloway	de Lima	Spencer	Williams	Yadong
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 177-117	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 177-117 2018 Champion	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 172-122	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Arce
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 171-123 2017 Champion	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 169-125	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 169-125	Holloway	Rothwell	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 110-68	Holloway	de Lima	Spencer	Baeza	Yadong

The UFC is back home in Las Vegas this week with a former champion at the top of the lineup.

UFC Fight Night 197 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who is fighting for the first time in more than two years. Holloway is a huge -800 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Rodriguez is +470. Given those odds, it’s not surprising that not a single one of our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers is picking against Holloway.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag] (18-7-1 MMA, 7-5 UFC) meets [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] (39-13 MMA, 9-7 UFC) at heavyweight. And though Rothwell only is a -165 favorite, he’s got the support of 11 of our 13 staff members.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Leah Letson[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on former Invicta champion and former UFC women’s featherweight title challenger [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC). Spencer is a big -320 favorite, and she’s our other unanimous pick.

[autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) may be just a -150 favorite at welterweight against [autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), but he’s got a near-unanimous picks lead at 12-1.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (17-5-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) is a slim -140 favorite at featherweight against [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC). Yadong has most of our backing – he’s an 11-2 pick.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Holloway (88 percent), Rothwell (72 percent), Spencer (86 percent), Baeza (51 percent) and Yadong (81 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Leah Letson ‘honored’ to be thrown in deep end with Felicia Spencer after nearly 3-year layoff

“She went the distance with Cyborg and Nunes, and there’s no better opponent to test my skills against.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Leah Letson[/autotag] thinks she’ll show to be a “completely different fighter” when she returns to the octagon from a nearly three-year layoff on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 197.

After joining the UFC roster from Season 28 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Letson (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has been sidelined with a bevy of health issues, including hypothyroidism, which prevented her from competing and even training, really.

Letson, 29, said she followed the directives of her doctors and incrementally worked her way back into fighting shape for the first time since November 2018. Now she’s back and is set to meet Felicia Spencer (8-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in a women’s featherweight matchup on the upcoming card at the UFC Apex, which streams on ESPN+.

“It’s surreal,” Letson told MMA Junkie of her return at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 197 media day. “I’m so excited to be here. I’ve been waiting literally three years to come back here, and I can’t tell you how amazing it is to be here. I’m so excited. There were a couple times I questioned whether or not I was going to be to come back. But I’m passionate about the sport. I had to make it happen.”

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Letson is wasting no time getting her footing after such a long hiatus. UFC matchmakers pitted her against Spencer, who is a former title challenger and has shared the octagon with the best at 145 pounds during her tenure.

Although Spencer had the advantage of activity, Letson said she has the advantage of the unknown. Letson said she’s changed training camps, coaches and her mental approach toward the sport during this long stint between fights, and she looks forward to finding out where she stands against someone of Spencer’s caliber.

“It didn’t take me long to accept it,” Letson said. “She’s really tough. I was actually really honored they were ready to throw me in there with one of the toughest fighters out there. She went the distance with (Cris) Cyborg and (Amanda) Nunes, and there’s no better opponent to test my skills against.”

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Felicia Spencer and UFC 250’s other losing fighters?

See who Felicia Spencer, Raphael Assuncao and Cory Sandhagen should fight next after their losses at UFC 250.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for UFC 250’s winning fighters?)

After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters will be matched up with next.

With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 248’s most notable fighters.

Those fighters include [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who lost a unanimous decision to Amanda Nunes (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) in the women’s featherweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as well as [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (28-7 MMA, 12-4 UFC), [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and [autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag] (24-14-1 MMA, 6-8 UFC)

* * * *

Eddie Wineland

What’s next: Time off
Why: Former WEC bantamweight champ Wineland took one of the toughest losses of his career when he was flattened in highlight-reel fashion by top prospect Sean O’Malley.

Wineland hasn’t been very active in recent years after fighting since 2003, but he shows up every so often and will certainly take a notable fight if it’s presented to him. After the way in which he lost to O’Malley, though, it’s hard not to wonder if, at 35, he will be keen to come back.

The manner in which Wineland lost definitely warrants a good amount of time off. He shouldn’t be fighting anytime soon after taking a knockout like that, and thus it’s pretty difficult to decide a fight that would make sense for him. He’s still a very talented fighter, though, and would be worthy of a top-20 foe if he decides to return to the octagon.

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