Eddie Wineland (photo via UFC.com)

By FCF Staff

After dropping consecutive bouts, and thoughts of retirement, Eddie Wineland needed a big win last night at UFC on FOX 20, and the well rounded vet accomplished just that.

Wineland faced fellow bantamweight contender Frankie Saenz last night, and he proceeded to stop the latter with strikes in round three. The bout marked the first time Wineland had fought since last July, when he was decisioned by Bryan Caraway. That fight followed a first round, knockout loss to Johnny Eduardo, which left Wineland with a broken jaw and considering retirement.

Following Saturday’s card, the former WEC champ had this to say about the pivotal win (quote via MMA Junkie.com):

“This win tonight is exactly what I needed. I questioned myself quite a bit throughout this training camp – do I want to keep doing this? Is this really what I want to be doing? Not that I don’t love fighting, but the bumps and the bruises – I don’t heal like a 22-year-old boy anymore. I’m a 32-year-old man and I’ve got aches and pains all day, every day. To get in there and realize that because I’m a 32-year-old man, I’ve still got it.”

Wineland moved his overall record to 22-11-1 with the victory. The Indiana fighter was ranked #15 heading into last night’s card.