Should they Retire? Its not our choice OR business...

Should they retire? Not our choice OR business...

Imagine if someone told you that just because you couldn't make it to the top spot in your job, you should just pack it in and give it up. Imagine if you really loved your job and someone else was telling you that you should leave it against your choice. How pissed would you be? How much would you even give a damn what these outsiders thought? Unfortunately in this sport that I love known as MMA, this happens all of the time.

How many times do you hear people say that Tito Ortiz or Mirko Cro Cop should retire? I have recently even heard it about Randy Couture, Antonio Nogueira, and even Fedor Emelianenko. First off, let me say this...Who the hell are we to say when these people should retire? Second of all, I think it is a damn shame that when people aren't considered threats to championships anymore, people think they should just retire.

Let me guess, you think Dan Severn should retire too? Why? He is happily making a living and working towards his 100^th mixed martial arts professional win. Dan Severn has plenty of money and still chooses to fight because that is what he DOES. That's who he is in his life and we should not be able to seriously tell these people to quit because he's not a contender for the Heavyweight Championship in a few people's eyes. Personally, I would love to see him back in the UFC.

Now, obviously there is small exceptions when we are looking out for someone's life. Andrei Arlovski is getting KO'ed in every fight violently and I think that he seriously needs to see if his brain is ok. If he is ok, then sure, he should continue. However, someone that consistently has his lights shut off violently may wanna consider something else. However, the truth of it is, he can still make money in other organizations. People like Andrei and Cro Cop do not need to fight the top talents to have a job.

I guess what I am trying to say is that this choice should belong to them and them only. If Dana White doesn't want to employ them anymore, thats fine. There is other companies all around the world that these fighters can make a living fighting for. However, its the ARM CHAIR critics that are telling these people to retire. Just because Chuck Liddell or Tito Ortiz may not be able to beat the top fighters in the UFC's 205lb division does not mean that they cannot go make serious money as the KING OF THE CAGE or any other companies champion or top draw.

People seem to think that if these fighters can't be the GREATEST FIGHTERS on the planet, they should just hang it up. I do NOT get that train of thought. I love the fact that Dan Severn, Travis Fulton, and Ken Shamrock are still out there making a living. I would love to see Mirko Cro Cop vs. Tim Sylvia headline a smaller companies show to draw some fans in. I think Phil Baroni is garbage, but I love watching him fight. I love knowing that he is still out there. The same goes for Frank Trigg and many other fighters.

These fighters can retire when they want. I personally want them to stick around forever. If they have to retire or choose to, cool...But it should be no one else's decision but their own. If Tito Ortiz can go to Bellator and make a decent paycheck, then why not?

Of course I look forward to hearing responses, but I just don't get why everyone feels the way they do. Chuck Liddell and Cro Cop still wanna fight. Being forced to retire is just a shame...Legends and non-legends as well deserve the right to go out as they choose. Bottom line is that you would be shitty if people were rooting for you to resign from your job. With that being the case, quit wishing the worst for these fighters...and...not fighting anymore is the WORST for many of them. Its their life.