After a twelve-year career as a professional MMA fighter, UFC welterweight Dhiego Lima is turning the page.
Lima announced today on his Instagram that he will be retiring from MMA, stating that although he feels he is in the prime of his career, it is “God’s timing” that he retire. Lima was slated to fight Miguel Baeza at a UFC Fight Night on April 16th, and it is unknown the status of that fight- whether it will be Lima’s last, or if another circumstance prevents him from fighting.
View this post on Instagram
The brother of former three-time Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima fought in two stints in the UFC, originally joining the roster after making it to the middleweight finals of The Ultimate Fighter 19, where he lost to Eddie Gordon. While he was cut from the promotion after going 1-3, a 2-1 run across Legacy FC and Titan FC earned him a second chance The Ultimate Fighter 25, a comeback season for former contestants.
Lima also worked his way into the finals of that season, beating Hayder Hassan, Gilbert Smith, and Tom Gallicchio all by unanimous decision to earn a spot in the finals, ultimately falling to winner Jesse Taylor. The high point of his UFC career came immediately after that, going on a three-fight win streak over Luke Jumeau, Court McGee, and Chad Laprise in 2018-19. 2021 was not as kind, taking a step up in competition and falling to Belal Muhammad and Matt Brown.
In his Instagram post, Lima also stated his excitement to continue coaching with his brother at American Top Team Atlanta, where they recently moved to a new facility.
View this post on Instagram
Featured Image
Embed from Getty Images
