It appears retirement won’t last long for Jimi Manuwa.
Less than a year after what he deemed as the final bout of his MMA career, Manuwa (17-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) is strongly indicating the fight game is luring him back in.
The longtime UFC light heavyweight, who graced the octagon 12 times between September 2012 and June 2019, hinted on social media that a comeback is in the works (via Twitter):
Manuwa, 39, retired from MMA following a string of ugly losses. He lost his final four bouts (including three knockouts) before hanging up his gloves. All of those defeats came against top names at 205 pounds, including Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, Jan Blachowicz and Volkan Oezdemir.
Given his age and longevity in the sport, though, one of the concerns leading to Manuwa’s retirement was his ability to take damage. All but one of his six career defeats have come by knockout, but Manuwa appears unworried by that issue (via Twitter)
Should Manuwa execute his comeback plan, it remains to be seen what it will look like. All signs point to him still being contractually tied to the UFC, and the Brit securing a spot at UFC on ESPN+ 29, which takes place March 18 in London, would seem to be a natural fit.
Jimi Manuwa hints at comeback from retirement: 'I was truly born for this game'
