UFC veteran Dan Argueta, who competed six times under the promotion banner, has officially announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
The 31-year-old bantamweight fighter made the announcement on Tuesday. He confirmed his decision to end his fighting career came after the UFC released him from his contract.
Posting on social media, Argueta shared his thoughts:
“It’s with a heavy heart that today I’ve decided to hang up my gloves. After receiving news of the UFC not giving me the opportunity to finish out the final fight on my contract, I’ve ultimately decided to turn the page and start writing my next chapter.”
He reflected on the impact fighting had on his life:
“With that being said fighting indeed saved my life. I gave it my all every-time I stepped into an Octagon and that’s something I’m at peace with. This opportunity taught me more about myself than anything else. It molded me into the man that can handle becoming the best version of himself, it helped me find my best friend and soon to be beautiful wife, and it showed me that I CAN do anything I set my mind to.”
Argueta joined the UFC roster in 2022, where he initially lost a decision to Damon Jackson. He secured his first and only promotional victory in his subsequent fight against Nick Aguirre.
His UFC tenure also included two consecutive bouts that ended in no-contests. One of these occurred after his loss to Miles Johns was overturned because Johns tested positive for a banned substance.
Argueta concluded his UFC career with back-to-back defeats against Jean Matsumoto and Cody Haddon.
He offered a final farewell to the sport:
“To the roughest, toughest, most demanding job on earth (Next to being a parent). You’re a cruel son of a b*tch, but I’ll always love what we had,” Argueta wrote. “This isn’t a maybe we’ll get back together. This is a goodbye. Opportunity awaits.”
Argueta retires from professional MMA competition with a record of 9 wins, 3 losses, and 2 no-contests, having begun his career in 2017.
