Rashad Evans (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

After losing five straight fights, former UFC champ Rashad Evans has announced he’s hanging up the gloves at the age of 38.

Evans is coming off a first round, knockout loss to Anthony Smith at UFC 225. The former light-heavyweight champ appeared on ESPN’s “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show“, and during the interview, “Suga” announced the following (quote via MMA Fighting):

“I’m gonna retire,” Evans said. “There’s just so much that goes into it all, but at one point in my life I felt as if fighting was everything. It was everything. I put life second, but now life is taking over and now fighting has become second. Competing in a sport like mixed martial arts where you have a lot of guys who haven’t been to the top of the mountain and haven’t experienced it the things that I’ve experienced, they’re really hungry for it.

“Me, I was just lukewarm. I’ve been through a lot in this sport. I’ve fought a lot of fights and I don’t look at the sport the same way.”

Evans made his way to the UFC back in 2005, and won the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter” competing at heavyweight. In 2008, the well rounded fighter won the 205 title by stopping Forrest Griffin. Evans lost the belt to Lyoto Machida via knockout, however, in his next bout.

In the proceeding years, Evans remained one of the UFC’s top light-heavyweights, before he was sidelined for well over a year due to knee injuries. Evan’s last win took place in 2013, when he quickly stopped Chael Sonnen.