The financial burden of being a professional mixed martial artist is becoming too much for Darren Stewart.
The 33-year-old British fighter announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in a post on his Instagram account on Tuesday, saying that pursuing a career in mixed martial arts had put a strain on his family.
“As much as it pains me to write this, I’m done,” Stewart wrote. “I didn’t choose to do this, but I have lost so much in this game just to stay afloat that I have no choice. I just can’t do it anymore. When I got released from UFC, I should have invested it in something else, but instead I put it all on the line again to get back to the top and my life has gotten even worse. I have a family and it’s not fair to them to have to deal with the stress just to put food on the table.”
“I love martial arts. I don’t want to call it that because I’m only 33, but I’m not financially supported. We’ve spoken about it a few times but I won’t go into it. Maybe I’ll start if I get into boxing, but what about MMA?…Yeah, I’m done. I’m seriously crying as I write this but it’s reality. I will continue to do one-on-one instruction, seminars and do some jiu-jitsu here and there because I feel I can pass on my knowledge. But other than that, I need to find a side hustle. I want to thank those who have always supported me. I really do appreciate it. I hope the next generation has learned a lot from me and my career.”
Stewart made his UFC debut in 2016 and compiled a record of 5-7 with two no-contests before leaving the Las Vegas-based organization following a loss to Dustin Jacoby in August 2021. “The Dentist” has fought six times under the Cage Warriors banner since then, most recently losing via second-round TKO to Carlos Alexandre Pereira in March of this year. Stewart is 16-10 in his pro career, which began in 2014.
