Cerrone retires from MMA after submission loss to Miller

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone is hanging up his gloves for good.

The former UFC title challenger announced his retirement following a submission loss to Jim Miller at UFC 276 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

"I don't love it anymore, Joe," Cerrone said to UFC color commentator Joe Rogan after the fight. "It's hard for me to get up. ... I'm not complaining to anybody. I just don't love it anymore. I'm going to be a movie star, baby. It's time to bow out."

Cerrone walks away from mixed martial arts after a 16-year career with several noteworthy achievements on his resume. He's tied for the second-most fights (38), wins (23), and finishes (16) in UFC history, and he owns the most performance bonuses (18).

The bout against Miller was a rematch of their 2014 Fight Night main event, which Cerrone won by knockout after stepping in on a week's notice when Bobby Green withdrew for undisclosed reasons. This was his first submission loss since April 2010.

Miller, now riding a three-fight winning streak, was tied with Cerrone and former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski for most wins in UFC history heading into Saturday's rematch. Miller now owns the leading total by himself with 24.

Cerrone went through a tough stretch at the end of his UFC run, going 0-6 (1 NC) to close his career. Cerrone's final victory came against Al Iaquinta in May 2019.

The 39-year-old, who spent time at both 155 and 170 pounds in the Octagon, challenged Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight title in 2015 but lost by TKO. He owns notable wins over Eddie Alvarez, Benson Henderson, Charles Oliveira, Matt Brown, and Edson Barboza.