UFC welterweight Cathal Pendred announces retirement

Cathal Pendred is hanging up his four ounce gloves.

In a post on his Twitter account Wednesday, Pendred cited his dwindling passion for the sport, and growing outside interests, as the driving force behind his decision to retire.

The 28-year-old SBG Ireland product made his MMA debut in 2009, and spent nearly five years plying his trade in Europe before becoming a cast member on the 19th season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

After being eliminated in the semifinals of the well-worn reality TV staple, Pendred embarked on a successful career inside the Octagon. He racked up consecutive victories over Mike King, Gasan Umalatov, Sean Spencer, and Augusto Montano, before closing out his career with losses to John Howard, and Tom Breese.