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UFC

UFC middleweight Alan 'The Talent' Belcher retires from MMA

By Damon Martin FoxSports
Published | Updated
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - MAY 05: Alan Belcher bows to the crowd after defeating Rousimar Palhares in thier Middleweight bout at Izod Center on May 5, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - MAY 05: Alan Belcher bows to the crowd after defeating Rousimar Palhares in thier Middleweight bout at Izod Center on May 5, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

UFC middleweight Alan Belcher officially announced his retirement from mixed martial arts on Friday after a nine-year career, including 15 fights inside the Octagon.

Belcher has been out of action since 2013, when he lost a technical decision to Michael Bisping at UFC 159 after an accidental eye poke stopped the fight in the third round.

Belcher retires with an 18-8 record overall including a 9-6 mark in the UFC.

"People ask me every, single day 'when are you fighting again?' and I'm done fighting. I'm finished. I will never, ever fight again," Belcher announced via Periscope on Friday. "This is my official retirement.

"Unfortunately, I didn't get to do it after a fight and take my gloves off all that type of stuff. I really believe that I could go down that road and fight again but this is more important to me. I like teaching martial arts and I want to continue teaching around the world through my online businesses and I want to help instructors and gym owners grow their businesses and affect people with jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts."

Belcher has spent the last two years teaching MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu rather than focusing on fighting, and now he's officially calling it a career.

Throughout his tenure with the UFC, Belcher put on some of the most exciting fights in the Octagon, including a few notable finishes over Rousimar Palhares, Jason MacDonald and Patrick Cote.

Out of his nine career wins in the UFC, Belcher only had one go to a decision with the other eight ending by either knockout or submission.

The 31-year-old fighter was ranked a couple of times throughout his career and put together a four-fight win streak from 2009 through 2012 before dropping his last two bouts before retiring.