Neil Seery finally got to say goodbye.
After his plans to walk away from MMA were spoiled last November by an opponent withdrawal, "2Tap" officially fought for the last time at UFC Fight Night 113 in Glasgow on Sunday.
The result probably wasn't what he was hoping for, a third-round submission loss to Alexandre Pantoja, but Seery had previously made it clear that he was ready to hang up the gloves regardless of whether or not he closed out his 11-year professional run with a win.
"I'll live to fight another day, just not here," Seery said following the fight.
Seery finishes his run in the Octagon with a 3-4 record and a 16-13 record overall, but his modest results don't reflect his impact on Irish MMA.
The 37-year-old first fought in October 2005 and he emerged as a key figure in the rise of the sport in his native country. He won a flyweight title in Europe's Cage Warriors promotion, the same organization that produced future stars like Conor McGregor and Michael Bisping, before signing with the UFC in 2014.
Several of Seery's peers honored the veteran fighter, including McGregor's coach John Kavanagh:
If you're here to support @GunniNelson or @Relentlessward be sure to give huge cheer for @NeilSeeryMMA last fight. Top guy and great fighter
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) July 16, 2017
