Matt Serra on retiring, B.J. Penn and feeling like 'nothing can be wrong in the world'

Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra knows exactly why the emotions recently got to fellow ex-titleholder B.J. Penn after his final fight.

Following an embarrassing loss to Frankie Edgar on July 6 at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale, a choked-up Penn officially announced his retirement. With just one win in his final seven fights, Penn’s illustrious career concluded with a disappointing end.

But Serra, who dethroned Georges St-Pierre in 2007 and ultimately retired in 2010, said he knows all too well why the lure of the cage proved so strong for Penn, who was one of the trailblazers for MMA’s lighter weight classes.

“I know why it’s hard to walk away from the game,” Serra told MMAjunkie Radio a few days after cornering UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in his UFC 175 victory over Lyoto Machida. “Trust me, I know.

” … That feeling – to know you’re never going to have that feeling again? Listen, man, when you have a good night, get a knockout, finish somebody – oh my God, it doesn’t matter anything that happens after that. That single moment, nothing can be wrong in the world. That’s where your head’s at. Cloud nine is an understatement.”

For the full conversation, including his thoughts on Weidman’s latest title defense and why trainer Ray Longo doesn’t get his due props, check out the video above.

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