UFC, 'TUF' vet Martin Svensson announces retirement 3 months after calling for Cage Warriors title shot

Only three months after winning in his return to the Cage Warriors promotion and calling for a lightweight title shot, Martin Svensson says he is retiring from MMA.

Svensson (15-6), a UFC and “Ultimate Fighter” veteran, made the announcement Thursday on his Facebook page, saying he was making “a balanced decision to stop on my own terms.”

Svensson said he planned to continue competing in grappling and jiu-jitsu tournaments, but was stepping away from MMA because at 31, after eight years in the sport, his body could no longer take the punishment.

Svensson fought Jim Alers for the featherweight title at Cage Warriors 59 in September 2013, but dropped a unanimous decision. Alers went on to sign with the UFC. After a loss to future UFC signee Artem Lobov, Svensson returned to Cage Warriors for a decision win over Robbie Olivier, then outpointed Dave Hill at Cage Warriors 71 in August 2014.

Svensson earned a spot in the house on Season 22 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and fought under coach Conor McGregor. In the elimination round, he submitted Thanh Le – and was slated to fight Lobov in a rematch from their fight in Sweden in December 2013. But he suffered a broken elbow in his win over Le and had to withdraw from the competition.

Svensson did get a shot in the UFC, anyway. But at UFC Fight Night 84 nearly a year ago, he was stopped with a second-round TKO by fellow “TUF 22” cast member David Teymur. That was his lone octagon appearance.

This past May, Cage Warriors announced Svensson had returned and would compete for the promotion later in 2016. At the time, Svensson said he was going after the lightweight title.

“I’m going for the belt and everybody in my weight class should watch out,” he stated. “I will destroy everything in my way. I never give up, and this belt is going to be mine. It won’t take long until I can call myself world champion.”

At Cage Warriors 79 in October, Svensson fought Scott Clist and submitted him with a triangle choke at the 1:34 mark of the second round. Then he called for a title shot. Little did anyone know he’d decide to abandon that hope for another shot at a Cage Warriors belt three months later.

Over the course of his career, Svensson, from Sweden, had nine submissions in his 15 career victories. Four of the six losses on his resume came to UFC veterans: Teymur, Alers, Lobov and Robert Whiteford.