Mats Nilsson Turns Down Third UFC Fight, Decides to Retire from MMA

Mats Nilsson Turns Down Third UFC Fight, Decides to Retire from MMA

by Chris Houten - @ChrisHoutenMMA

Cage Warriors / Dolly Crew

Seven years in to his pro career, Swedish welterweight Mats Nilsson has announced his retirement from MMA at age 31. The BJJ and Judo black belt announced his retirement earlier today in an interview Swedish outfit HD.se:

“I feel that I’m at the end of the road. I absolutely could go for another match for and perhaps win.” says the Swede. "But I've got everything I wanted and more, what more could I want? I am extremely proud of what I have accomplished."

"I have never cheated or wanted to take shortcuts. I never hid behind a facade or alter ego, but entered the cage or on the wrestling mat as myself. I've done it to meet my own gaze in the mirror and in the last two years also to have something to pass on to my daughter. I want her to know that with hard work and a belief in oneself can move mountains."

"Sport has taken me around the world and has given me unforgettable memories. I have received great support from friends and people I do not know. It is a rare luxury and a privilege. It's almost hard to put into words how much it meant and it's rare that I get speechless."

Making his pro debut on the back of 5-1 amateur record, Nilsson began his career racking up a 7-1-1 record on the Scandinavia MMA circuit which included a win over current UFC middleweight Magnus Cedenblad. After building a budding career on the local MMA scene Nilsson joined leading European MMA promotion Cage Warriors where he competed and won three times defeating former UFC vet Tom Speer, Chris Scott, and Denniston Sutherland before moving to the UFC at the start of 2014.

Nilsson's UFC debut came at UFC Fight Night: Gustaffson vs Manuawa against Brit, Luke Barnatt at Middleweight, where he lost an entertaining bout by TKO in round 1. The loss to the much larger Barnatt prompted a move to welterweight where he fought another European in Omari Akhmedov at UFC 182. He lost the bout with Akhmedov by unanimous decision but was close to defeating the Russian when he locked on to a D’arce Choke in the closing seconds of round 3 which he would have finished if not for the bell.

According to HD.se Nilsson was offered a third fight in the UFC, however he has decided his days as an MMA fighter are finished and he walks away an 11-4-1 record with 2 knockouts and 5 submissions.

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