Swinny
11-22-2012, 12:15 AM
After 68-fight career over 13 years, UFC and Bellator vet Rich Clementi retires from MMA
by Matt Erickson on Nov 21, 2012 at 11:15 am ET
Sixty-eight professional mixed martial arts fights, no matter against who or where, is not too shabby.
The fact that Rich Clementi (45-22-1) has done it all across the country and around the world for the biggest promotions just has to be icing on the cake. But this week, after 13 years in the sport, Clementi decided to hang up the gloves.
Just three days after a loss in Bellator's lightweight tournament semifinals, Clementi announced his retirement on his Facebook page.
Clementi on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com that retirement wasn't something he was planning on, but a pair of knee injuries forced the issue.
"(I wasn't thinking retirement) at all," Clementi said. "I would never quit this sport on a loss. It goes against everything I believe in. I actually wanted to come back after my surgery for one more fight till I found out my ACL has been damaged on my other leg, as well. I just feel the shape my body's in, I would be doing myself an injustice as an athlete and a competitor to continue."
But as he calls it a career following his Friday loss to Marcin Held in the semifinals of Bellator's Season 7 lightweight tournament, Clementi said he's content as he looks back.
"At this point, I have no goals to meet – no more to accomplish," he said. "I'm OK with that. I am happy and proud of what I have done."
On his Facebook page, Clementi said he'll now focus his MMA attention on continuing to help prepare other fighters.
"Well, I guess this day had to come some time," Clementi stated. "Just wish it could have been on my terms but then again we all know that wouldn't have happened because I would have always wanted just one more time under those lights. I am so grateful for the things this sport has taught me. The friends, experiences and most of all learning who I am. I am so lucky I have a platform to share these experiences and help others try to reach [their] dreams. I want to thank everyone that has helped me in this experience. Now it's time to turn the page. That's life and now the same drive will be passed off towards my guys and now I will be able to give more of me to them. I am very excited to see what the future has in store for me. I will update my condition when my MRI comes back. Surgery a must just not sure about some of the other issues. Doc said my body has been around the block a few times. I can only smile."
The way Clementi's career started, one could be forgiven for wondering if he might not pan out to much. He started 0-2, then 3-5 and 4-6. Pedestrian numbers, to say the least. But in those four wins, all came by way of his hands.
And then he went on a nine-fight run, all stoppages, over a two-year period in 2001-02 to get the call from the Big Show.
"No Love" made his UFC debut at UFC 41, but late in the third round against Yves Edwards, he was forced to tap to a rear-naked choke.
Outside the promotion again, he went 13-3-1 – including another nine-fight streak – before getting another call from the UFC, this time to compete on Season 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which became known as "The Comeback Season" for its use of fighters who had been in the UFC previously, but failed to stick around.
Although he was bounced by Shonie Carter during the season in the TUF house, he got a shot on the TUF 4 Finale against Din Thomas – but he lost by second-round rear-naked choke. But he got another shot at UFC Fight Night 8 and submitted Ross Pointon at welterweight, moving up from lightweight. But at UFC Fight Night 9, Clementi dropped a unanimous decision to Roan Carneiro.
Out and back again would be the hallmark of Clementi's next several fights. A win away from the UFC got him a shot at Anthony Johnson at UFC 76, and he won by rear-naked choke to hand "Rumble" the first loss of his career. Another win away, this time back at lightweight, got him another rUFC shot – and a rear-naked choke win over Melvin Guillard.
He then strung together back-to-back decision wins over Sam Stout and Terry Etim to run his UFC win streak to four. But consecutive losses to Gray Maynard and Gleison Tibau had him again seeking wins outside the world's biggest promotion.
Clementi bounced around with major promotions as well as regional events, including Bellator, Titan FC, DREAM and Score Fighting Series before getting a shot at Bellator's Season 7 lightweight tournament in October.
In the opening-round, he handed Russian Alexander Sarnavskiy the first loss of his career after a 20-0 start. But this past Friday, he was submitted by leg lock specialist Marcin Held in the semifinals in what now will be the final fight of his career.
Of Clementi's 45 career wins, 27 (60 percent) came by submission, and a staggering 80 percent were finishes. Among other major promotions, he finished with a 5-5 record in the UFC, including the impressive wins over future title contenders Guillard and Johnson.
Before his fight with Held, Clementi told MMAjunkie.com Radio that he was proud of the fact he never had any walk-through fights in his career.
"If you look at my record, I've never been brought up and just handed guys," he said. "I'm a guy that loves to fight and the tougher the challenge, the more excited I get about it. ... I'm a hard-nosed type cat, and nothing's going to stop me from trying to reach my goal, no matter what it is."
Sixty-eight fights in 13 years? Hard-nosed, indeed.
by Matt Erickson on Nov 21, 2012 at 11:15 am ET
Sixty-eight professional mixed martial arts fights, no matter against who or where, is not too shabby.
The fact that Rich Clementi (45-22-1) has done it all across the country and around the world for the biggest promotions just has to be icing on the cake. But this week, after 13 years in the sport, Clementi decided to hang up the gloves.
Just three days after a loss in Bellator's lightweight tournament semifinals, Clementi announced his retirement on his Facebook page.
Clementi on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com that retirement wasn't something he was planning on, but a pair of knee injuries forced the issue.
"(I wasn't thinking retirement) at all," Clementi said. "I would never quit this sport on a loss. It goes against everything I believe in. I actually wanted to come back after my surgery for one more fight till I found out my ACL has been damaged on my other leg, as well. I just feel the shape my body's in, I would be doing myself an injustice as an athlete and a competitor to continue."
But as he calls it a career following his Friday loss to Marcin Held in the semifinals of Bellator's Season 7 lightweight tournament, Clementi said he's content as he looks back.
"At this point, I have no goals to meet – no more to accomplish," he said. "I'm OK with that. I am happy and proud of what I have done."
On his Facebook page, Clementi said he'll now focus his MMA attention on continuing to help prepare other fighters.
"Well, I guess this day had to come some time," Clementi stated. "Just wish it could have been on my terms but then again we all know that wouldn't have happened because I would have always wanted just one more time under those lights. I am so grateful for the things this sport has taught me. The friends, experiences and most of all learning who I am. I am so lucky I have a platform to share these experiences and help others try to reach [their] dreams. I want to thank everyone that has helped me in this experience. Now it's time to turn the page. That's life and now the same drive will be passed off towards my guys and now I will be able to give more of me to them. I am very excited to see what the future has in store for me. I will update my condition when my MRI comes back. Surgery a must just not sure about some of the other issues. Doc said my body has been around the block a few times. I can only smile."
The way Clementi's career started, one could be forgiven for wondering if he might not pan out to much. He started 0-2, then 3-5 and 4-6. Pedestrian numbers, to say the least. But in those four wins, all came by way of his hands.
And then he went on a nine-fight run, all stoppages, over a two-year period in 2001-02 to get the call from the Big Show.
"No Love" made his UFC debut at UFC 41, but late in the third round against Yves Edwards, he was forced to tap to a rear-naked choke.
Outside the promotion again, he went 13-3-1 – including another nine-fight streak – before getting another call from the UFC, this time to compete on Season 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which became known as "The Comeback Season" for its use of fighters who had been in the UFC previously, but failed to stick around.
Although he was bounced by Shonie Carter during the season in the TUF house, he got a shot on the TUF 4 Finale against Din Thomas – but he lost by second-round rear-naked choke. But he got another shot at UFC Fight Night 8 and submitted Ross Pointon at welterweight, moving up from lightweight. But at UFC Fight Night 9, Clementi dropped a unanimous decision to Roan Carneiro.
Out and back again would be the hallmark of Clementi's next several fights. A win away from the UFC got him a shot at Anthony Johnson at UFC 76, and he won by rear-naked choke to hand "Rumble" the first loss of his career. Another win away, this time back at lightweight, got him another rUFC shot – and a rear-naked choke win over Melvin Guillard.
He then strung together back-to-back decision wins over Sam Stout and Terry Etim to run his UFC win streak to four. But consecutive losses to Gray Maynard and Gleison Tibau had him again seeking wins outside the world's biggest promotion.
Clementi bounced around with major promotions as well as regional events, including Bellator, Titan FC, DREAM and Score Fighting Series before getting a shot at Bellator's Season 7 lightweight tournament in October.
In the opening-round, he handed Russian Alexander Sarnavskiy the first loss of his career after a 20-0 start. But this past Friday, he was submitted by leg lock specialist Marcin Held in the semifinals in what now will be the final fight of his career.
Of Clementi's 45 career wins, 27 (60 percent) came by submission, and a staggering 80 percent were finishes. Among other major promotions, he finished with a 5-5 record in the UFC, including the impressive wins over future title contenders Guillard and Johnson.
Before his fight with Held, Clementi told MMAjunkie.com Radio that he was proud of the fact he never had any walk-through fights in his career.
"If you look at my record, I've never been brought up and just handed guys," he said. "I'm a guy that loves to fight and the tougher the challenge, the more excited I get about it. ... I'm a hard-nosed type cat, and nothing's going to stop me from trying to reach my goal, no matter what it is."
Sixty-eight fights in 13 years? Hard-nosed, indeed.