Aisling Daly (photo via Twitter / @aisydaly)

By FCF Staff

Aisling Daly has announced she’s retiring from pro-fighting at the young age of 29, after an abnormality was discovered in a routine brain scan.

The UFC veteran, who hasn’t fought since 2015 when she decisioned Ericka Almeida, revealed the news recently on Facebook. Here is some of Daly’s statement:

I’ve been sitting on this for the past while and it’s about time I made it official. I will be retiring from the sport of MMA.

This past year a routine brain scan showed up evidence of an abnormality, the remnant of a small haemorrhage that had taken place at some point in the months previous. It would be unlikely I would be medically cleared to compete again, even in the event I could find a doctor who would clear me it would be very unwise for me to continue to compete with the risks involved.

My career has ended prematurely but I’m very grateful for my long list of achievements, I am and will always be ‘Ais the first’ for so many things, my legacy set in stone in the history of Irish mixed martial arts. I am the countries first ever world champion, the first and only female to ever do it. I’m very proud of the barriers I’ve broken down and the doors I have opened to others coming behind me both male and female. I have and always will give back to the sport which has given me so much.

I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the fans who have supported me tirelessly through various parts of the journey. It has been one hell of a ride. Without this support there is no sport of MMA as we know it…