UFC light heavyweight Krzysztof Soszynski (26-12-1) has retired from fighting. The 37-year-old Pole made the announcement on AXS TV’s Inside MMA Friday night, citing short term memory loss as one of the primary reasons. Kyzysztof suffered a KO loss to Igor Pokrajac at UFC 140 in Dec. 2011, and he said it was the first time he was ever knocked out cold. He wanted to have one more fight but during training he realized it was time to stop before things progressively got any worse. It’s been nearly three years since his last fight and Soszynski says things haven’t gotten any worse, but they haven’t gotten better either, and he thinks this is something he will live with for the rest of his life. He said he couldn’t even remember what he did two days ago.
The issue of head trauma and the long term effect of concussions among MMA fighters is serious business. If you’re a fighter and feel you might be suffering negative side effects from years of sparring and fighting, get yourself checked out properly and do what is best for yourself and your family. You only have one brain!
Krzysztof began his pro MMA career in 2003. After making a name for himself on the regional circuit and in the IFL, Krzysztof entered the UFC where he fought total of nine times over a period of three years, going 6-3. His most notable wins were over Brian Stann and Stephan Bonnar.
Later on in the show, Dr. Vernon Williams, M.D., the director of the Kerlan-Jobe Center for Sports Neurology, gave his professional opinion on brain injuries in MMA and signs to look for. He also shared his thoughts on Krzyszstof Soszynski’s retirement. Watch below:
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