Takeya Mizugaki has decided to hang up the gloves for good.
Most notable for his stint in the UFC, the MMA veteran announced his retirement from the sport after competing inside the octagon for over ten years. MMA Planet was the first to break the news, with Mizugaki confirming the report through social media:
The 36-year-old had been fighting professionally since 2005, competing in Shooto and World Extreme Cagefighting before making his way over to the UFC back in 2011. Mizugaki managed to get a split decision win in his debut bout against Reuben Duran, though his win/loss was back-and-forth following the contest as the fighter somewhat struggled in the early goings of his UFC career.
However, after his win over Jeff Hougland, Mizugaki would go on a four-fight winning streak, but his momentum was halted when he met former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 178. Since that devastating loss, Mizugaki continued to lose and was released from the company back 2016. The Japan native lost four out of last five fights in the UFC, also dropping bouts to Aljamain Sterling, Cody Garbrandt, and Eddie Wineland.
Mizugaki would go on to fight for Absolute Championship Berkut and Rizin Fighting Federation, and despite his hard fought battles, Mizugaki wasn’t able to recapture the magic he had during his early days in Shooto and World Extreme CageFighting. The MMA veteran retires with a professional record of 23 wins, 14 losses, and 2 no contests.