UFC Vet Forrest Petz Hoping to Go Out on a High Note, Retiring After Saturday Night’s Fight

Following a four-fight winning streak, former UFC welterweight Forrest Petz ended last year on a down note, as he suffered 90-second TKO loss to Jordan Mein at Score FS 7 in November.

The loss not only snapped Petz’s winning streak, it also made him rethink his priorities.

“The last fight obviously was a complete mess,” said Petz. “It just didn’t work out for me there. I wasn’t really hurt, but I just couldn’t get out of the way of his shots. You can’t take 50 shots without the ref stopping the fight. Can’t blame the guy for that, I would have done the same thing.

“After that was over, I considered retiring. I didn’t think there was any chance I was going to get back into the UFC after that. Maybe I was on the verge if I would have won that fight, but (the loss) just knocks me back to the back of the list. I’ve been mulling it over for a while, and I’d rather go out with a win, so I wanted to have one more fight.”

Petz is scheduled to have his last fight on Saturday, June 1, as part of the NAAFS Fight Nite in the Flats IX card in Cleveland at the Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.

“The opportunity to fight Chris Curtis came up. He’s a tough guy, but I plan on going out there and finishing my career with a win,” said Petz.

“He’s a southpaw and is a really good Thai boxer with decent ground, but his strength is definitely on his feet. I’ve had some good sparring with southpaw guys like Nick Duell, who is also fighting that night, and I like the way we match up. I like the fact that the guy is going to stand on his feet and it’s going to end up being a good fight.”

When asked if he’d reconsider retiring if he defeats Curtis and performs well and comes out of the fight healthy, Petz responded, “This is going to do it.

“I’ve got two babies now. I work for a living and it’s just a big sacrifice to get ready for a fight. Also, making 170 pounds, I don’t know if I can do it anymore. I’m going to be 38 this year and the way I’ve been fighting lately, I’m going to take a lot of shots. I stand in front of guys and you can’t do that forever, so hopefully I’ll go out with a win here and end on a high note.”

Looking back on his career, while he would have liked to have won more often, overall he’s happy with his career and what he’s accomplished.

“I wish I would have done better, but I had a good ride,” said Petz. “I had a couple good runs there. I made it to the UFC and won more than I lost and beat some good fighters. I’m happy in that respect.

“My true record starting back in 1999 is 28-10. I wish obviously it was 38-0, but I gave it a good ride and got my money’s worth.”