Eddie Wineland on potential retirement: 'No way in hell' I want to leave MMA like that

Inaugural WEC champion and former UFC title challenger Eddie Wineland is wrestling with one massive decision, and he said he’s just not ready to make it.

The 29-year-old, who suffered a broken jaw in an upset loss to Johnny Eduardo this past month at UFC Fight Night 40, still isn’t sure if the injury will force his retirement from the sport. But Wineland (21-10-1 MMA, 3-4 UFC), whose mouth was wired shut for three weeks, still doesn’t know the ultimate extent of the injury.

Wineland, after all, also suffered a broken jaw in 2004 – his mouth was wired shut for six weeks then – and he knows it can take months to determine just how much it could affect him.

“Personally, I don’t want to walk away,” Wineland recently told MMAjunkie Radio. “Fighting is who I am. I love to fight. My plan was to fight until I’m about 34 years old and live a comfortable life after that. But things change.”

Those things include a family and other financial commitments. A few more years fighting in the world’s preeminent MMA promotion could provide some additional financial security. Although Wineland is also a full-time firefighter, the UFC income – including more fight-night bonuses like the one he earned in a knockout win over Scott Jorgensen – could go a long way.

“We’re expecting our first kid in December, I’m building a house, and I have a lot of stuff going on,” he said. “There’s just a lot on my plate right now, and I’m not ready to eat it all.”

Wineland said his jaw still isn’t aligned like it was prior. He’ll need further healing, and he’ll need his muscles to relax and the swelling to subside, before he can truly gauge his recovery. He said it’s “still early in the game” and that he can’t make that decision yet.

But if the recovery proves successful, he thinks a return to the cage is quite possible. After all, he doesn’t want to end a productive career – one that’s seen 16 stoppages in 21 career wins against many of the world’s top 135-pounders – on such a low note.

“No way in hell would I ever to chose to walk away on those terms,” he said.

Check out the full conversation above.

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