And Another One … Seven Year, Seventeen Fight UFC Veteran Just Announced His Retirement

It would appear that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is losing one of their veteran fighters. UFC middleweight Rafael Natal has announced his retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts. Joining Ariel Helwani on today's edition of The MMA Hour, Rafael Natal broke the news. "I'm stepping out of the cage. I came here today to announce my retirement from MMA. It was the toughest walk in today to come to your studio, because it's hard to make this announcement. But, I talked to my family, my friends and my coach and said that it is time." Rafael "Sapo" Natal has put on a storied career in mixed martial arts. With a record of 21-9, Natal has taken on some of the sport's toughest competitors. Most recently, Natal finished his career on a three fight losing streak. Natal suffered two consecutive knockout losses, one to Eryk Anders and another to Tim Boetsch. He fought for the UFC for the last seven years where he fought seventeen times under the bright lights of the world's MMA pinnacle.