Happy with career, Roxanne Modafferi details why UFC 271 is the right time to retire

HOUSTON – Roxanne Modafferi is one of a kind. If evidence is needed, look no further than the outpouring of support as she enters her retirement fight at UFC 271.

In the days leading up to Saturday’s card, on which Modafferi (25-19 MMA, 4-7 UFC) takes on rising contender Casey O’Neill (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), “The Happy Warrior” attempts to focus as much as she can. Since she is widely beloved by the MMA community, however, there are constant reminders. There is no escaping it.

Always one to radiate positivity, Modafferi entered UFC 271 media day no differently. She’s both grateful and proud of her career accomplishments and is at peace with a decision she long avoided. Reflection proves she accomplished the big-picture goal.

“All this time I’ve been focused on, ‘I want to be stronger. I want to be stronger. I want to be stronger.’ That’s my martial arts spirit,” Modaferri told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on Wednesday. “Now, after this fight, I really want to be able to say, ‘I got stronger. Look at what I’ve done.’ That’s kind of my feelings going into this fight week.”

Once uncomfortable with the word “retirement,” Modafferi accepted it was time when she reached the crossroads of mental and physical wear-and-tear. The decision was two-fold.

“One was I feel like I used to wake up at 4 a.m. full of energy, like, ‘Let’s eat breakfast. Let’s go for a jog. Let’s do pushups.’ Now I’m waking up at 6, like, ‘I don’t want to have Mortal Kombat at 10 a.m., now.’ My body just doesn’t feel like it. I really want to focus more on jiu-jitsu,” Modafferi said. “I’ve been really feeling that urge rather than ‘let’s punch each other.’

“Also, I feel like in training after a hard sparring session, I ended up getting headaches. I don’t want to go down that path of brain trauma. I think I’ve been lucky to have 49 fights and not have brain trauma. I started wearing headgear , and that problem got better. But it sucks to wear headgear because people grab it and you’re like, ‘I’m getting choked by the headgear with the strap around my neck.’ It’s not as fun anymore as it used to be. I want to give 100 percent to my fight camps. I feel like I might not be able to moving forward. So I feel like now is a good time to change my life.”

Modafferi, 39, is considered by many to be a pioneer of women’s mixed martial arts. She outcompeted an entire generation of her female counterparts, evolved with the sport, gained respect from her peers, and succeeded.

If she wins at UFC 271, it’ll be a storybook ending, sure. It’s the cherry on top of the cake, but it’s not for all the marbles. Her career won’t be tainted win or lose. The pride will always be there – and there’s some comfort in that for Modafferi.

“I do feel proud of myself. I’ve done a lot,” Modafferi said. “Nothing can take away from what I’ve actually done.”

UFC 271 takes place Saturday at Toyota Center. The pay-per-view main card streams on ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.