Darren Stewart’s retirement should serve as a lesson to all MMA fighters

Darren Stewart's retirement should serve as a lesson to all MMA fighters

As a gamer who has spent countless hours watching MMA fights and admiring the grit and determination of fighters like Darren Stewart, it is disheartening to read about his financial struggles. Having played numerous games where the goal is to manage resources wisely, I can’t help but feel that he faced an opponent even more daunting than any UFC fighter – poor financial decision-making.

This week, ex-UFC contender Darren Stewart made a heartfelt announcement about retiring from combat sports. He confessed that because of financial missteps during his career, he could no longer afford to continue pursuing his passion.

He shared on Instagram that writing this is difficult for him, but he feels it’s necessary to conclude things. Unfortunately, circumstances have left him with no other option. He’s given a great deal to the game in an attempt to survive, but now, he can’t continue. When the UFC released him, he should have diversified his investments, but instead, he put all of his resources into one venture again to regain his position, and things have only grown worse.

Stewart openly acknowledged that he ought to have put the earnings from his UFC fights into investments, but instead chose not to. This illustrates a grim reality about not only the inadequate pay for fighters, but also the mindset many of them have towards their careers as perpetual. It’s common to witness fighters squandering money on unnecessary items such as luxury cars, ostentatious jewelry, or extravagant lifestyles. However, not every fighter is earning Conor McGregor-level income and can’t afford to live like him.

He mentioned that he has family who are struggling under the pressure of ensuring there’s enough food to eat. He expressed a passion for fighting, but at 33 years old, he feels unsupported financially. Although he’s discussed his difficulties before, he won’t go into detail again. Perhaps he may consider boxing if an opportunity arises, but mixed martial arts (MMA) is no longer an option for him. Writing this brings tears to his eyes, but he acknowledges that things are as they are.

Darren Stewart said he’s having trouble ‘keeping food on the table’

As an ardent MMA enthusiast and fellow combatant, let’s not ignore the lessons that veterans like Stewart have shared; lest we find ourselves facing similar challenges. He penned, “May the upcoming generation have absorbed much from my journey.”

On June 7, 2014, Stewart started his professional mixed martial arts journey in Cage Warriors 69. He secured a TKO victory that night and added six more wins to his record. His first UFC bout was on November 19, 2016, but it ended inconclusively due to a technicality – an accidental head butt leading to the TKO win being overturned. Despite this, he continued to fight for the UFC until August 2021, where he suffered his final loss against Dustin Jacoby. To wrap up his career, Stewart faced Carlos Pereira in Cage Warriors 169 on March 30 and came out on the losing end.

2024-08-29 01:13