Mark Madsen Retires from MMA
After 14 professional fights in MMA and six with the UFC, Mark Madsen has decided to call it quits and retire from the fight game. Has the Danish fighter made the right call, or should he have kept going?
Madsen Cites Tiredness for Decision to Retire
Mark Madsen says that his body is tired after ten years in MMA. He’s fought 14 fights but lost the last two, with the latter being a pretty resounding loss. As such, he’s decided to jack it in and not be paid to get hurt anymore.
While he might be tired from all the physical training, it’s more likely that his last two matches have exposed him to evident defeats, which he doesn’t like. In November 2022, he tapped out to Grant Dawson’s rear-naked choke, his first-ever loss, and then at UFC 295, ended up down on the canvas as Jared Gordon knocked him out in the first round. He’s tired but, more evidently, not used to losing.
It could be that during his last fight, he picked up an injury, undisclosed to MMA news sites, that hadn’t healed as quickly as anticipated. It’s worth remembering that this man is 39 years old and won’t recover as soon as a spritely young fighter.
How Much Further Could Madsen Have Gone?
There is an upsetting concept that Mark Madsen could have had a much better UFC run or just generally in MMA. The reality is that he started the sport a little too late. When he made his MMA debut, he was 29. When he stepped into the octagon, he was already 35. At points, he was still actively participating in his amateur wrestling while juggling his MMA career. He was burning the candle at both ends with little time on the clock.
If he had started his MMA career much earlier, say when he was in his early 20s, he wouldn’t be giving up at 12-2. Equally, if he hadn’t continued to wrestle during the infancy of his MMA career, he wouldn’t be citing that he’s too tired now when announcing his retirement to MMA news websites.
This man had all the skills to be a top lightweight in the UFC. Given that the lightweight division is such a mess (that’s putting it lightly), if Madsen had been a few years younger or had more fuel in the tank, there’s nothing that would have held him back from fighting Jiří Procházka, Glover Teixeira or Magomed Ankalaev at the very top of the division – in the hunt for the championship.
Did Madsen Need to Quit MMA entirely?
The man from Nykøbing Falster had an exceptional MMA career before signing a contract with the UFC. He was 8-0 having fought exclusively in Denmark. He showed initial promise at the higher level of the sport but succumbed to two straight losses, slipping to a 12-2 record, which put real doubt as to whether Mark Madsen would ever be chasing down silverware in the UFC.
Yet 12-2 is hardly the worst record in MMA. He still won 12 fights with a very well-rounded fight game, as he was well-versed with his wrestling skills and could finish fights when needed. Subsequently, it begs the question as to whether he needed to leave MMA entirely. Promotions like ONE Championship, Bellator, or even Cage Warriors (who he used to fight for) would have welcomed him and given him a decent pay packet. At the same time, he could succeed with a lower level of competition standing across from him.
What Next for Madsen?
It’s essential to look at the exact words Mark Madsen said. “MMA is a demanding sport, and the body has to last for many years to come. This has also been a factor in my decision to [retire]”. He’s saying that he’s tired from MMA but nothing else. Madsen has continued his Roman-Greco wrestling activity alongside his MMA pursuits, winning medals in the Danish Wrestling Federation and Nordic Wrestling Alliance while overlapping his MMA career. Now, with a crisp amount of money earned from his UFC contract, maybe it’s time for Madsen to focus entirely on his wrestling again.
On his website, Madsen sells exclusive amateur wrestling gear like training and match apparel for other budding Roman-Greco participants to purchase. Even if he never wrestles at the top level again, the silver medal Olympian is likely to stay within the wrestling scene, whether it’s coaching or training; he’s still very passionate about the sport.
Madsen has previously worked with Danish media outlets on their MMA content; could this be a new project for him to get involved in? The UFC wants to become a global product, and having a Danish presence would help them achieve that goal, should they ever want to invest in that particular national market. Then again, Madsen speaks perfect English, so they could quickly work on their English comms to have a new voice for their media.
Could the Rock Push Madsen into the WWE?
With the formation of the umbrella company, TKO now governs both UFC and the WWE. While management has said it won’t try to push professional wrestlers into the octagon, the reverse might be more apparent. Ronda Rousey, Matt Riddle, and Ken Shamrock have shown that former MMA stars can succeed in the pro-wrestling world.
With Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson now behind the helm, he could look to further the WWE’s markets in Europe. The company has already shown an interest in growing its continental stature, having booked live PPV dates in France and Germany. What is better yet for Madsen is that with his amateur background, he already has the basics of pro wrestling down. Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar have already shown that it is possible to transition from amateur to pro. Could this lead to a super card in Copenhagen, with Madsen defeating Roman Reigns for the championship? That would be both MMA breaking news and wrestling headlines should it ever transpire!
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