Kyle Kingsbury on MMA retirement: 'It didn’t make sense to get beat up anymore'

Kyle Kingsbury made another go at it, but following Saturday’s UFC on FOX 12 event, he officially announced his retirement.

Kingsbury (11-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC), a veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 8? who once posted a four-fight UFC winning streak with a pair of “Fight of the Night” performances, called it quits following a unanimous-decision loss to fellow light heavyweight Patrick Cummins (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), which aired on FOX from San Jose’s SAP Center.

However, it was one of the more lopsided losses in recent UFC history – the judges rendered 30-27, 30-25 and 30-24 scores – and it marked Kingsbury’s fourth consecutive defeat overall.

The 32-year-old returned to the octagon for the first time in nearly two years following his recovery from a broken orbital bone he suffered in a September 2012 loss to Jimi Manuwa. With UFC on FOX 12 taking place near his American Kickboxing Academy home, he gave it one final shot.

“I’m not sure if it was the time off or the fact his wrestling is so good, that I was never able to get comfortable in the octagon,” Kingsbury said after the fight. “He set his takedowns well, and I really couldn’t do much to stop them.

“That was definitely my last fight. I told everyone I didn’t want to be a .500 fighter, and so enough was enough. It didn’t make sense to get beat up anymore.”

Following the event, Kingsbury sounded at peace with his decision, as he wrote on Twitter:

In my run it felt like peaks and valleys but in the end I am completely grateful for it all- every beating I delt out & every beating I took—
Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) July 27, 2014

I've learned more about life in the small window I've fought than in any other venture. Life only continues to get better. I love you all :)—
Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) July 27, 2014

Kingsbury closes out his career with an 11-6 pro record, which includes a 4-5 mark in the UFC. Although he fell short against bigger names such as Glover Teixeira and Manuwa, the San Jose-based fighter’s resume includes victories over the likes of Fabio Maldonado, Ricardo Romero and Jared Hamman.

For more on UFC on FOX 12, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.