Julian Erosa says his UFC Vegas 123 bout against Jeong Yeong Lee will be his retirement fight as he prepares to step away from mixed martial arts.
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Julian Erosa says his Octagon walk at UFC Vegas 123 will be his final one as he takes on Jeong Yeong Lee on the prelims from the Apex on Saturday, describing the fight as his retirement bout.
Erosa said the idea has been “in the back of [his] mind for a while,” adding that he wants to “retire from fighting” rather than have the sport retire him. He referenced watching Darren Elkins’ post-fight interviews and hearing him speak, saying he did not want his own career to end with him unsure of his “wits” at an older age.
The UFC fighter also pointed to his priorities outside the gym, telling BJPENN.com that with a two-and-a-half-year-old his health is “most important” to him. He said he is “satisfied” with what he has done and is “content with moving on,” concluding, “I’m ready to move on.”
Erosa is set to face a Lee opponent he said he did not know much about beforehand, noting that many fighters in the UFC are not familiar to him. He expects Lee to fight in a straightforward, action-focused style in the middle of the Octagon and said, “there won’t be a lack of action.”
While Erosa said he is usually known for a fan-friendly approach, he said his focus for UFC Vegas 123 is on getting the win in what he described as his last chance to end his career with his hand raised. He said that if he loses, it will also be his last fight, adding: “Win, lose, or draw, this will be it.”
Erosa said he hopes to go out in the most decisive way possible, specifically targeting a submission win. He suggested wrestling and grappling could help him, and he said he would like to “choke him out,” though he also acknowledged the fight could turn into a stand-and-bang matchup.
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