Arguably better known as head coach at Glory MMA & Fitness these days, UFC veteran James Krause has announced his retirement from fighting.
Krause, 36, announced the news on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
It appears physical ailments have played at least some role in Krause deciding to call it a career.
“This last week for me, I had a herniated disk — I have a herniated disk in my neck — and it was giving me real problems going into that [UFC 277] fight week,” Krause explained on the show (h/t MMA Fighting). “And I was very close to just officially saying it. It’s hard for me to [say]. This is the problem with most fighters is, it’s hard to let that go. It’s really hard to let that go. But I could tell you with almost 100-percent confidence that you guys will probably never see me fight again. And I’m good with that. I feel OK with that.”
Krause (28-8) last competed October of 2020, winning a unanimous decision against Claudio Silva at welterweight. The Virginia-born fighter, who now calls Missouri home, finished his UFC run going 7-1, and put together a six-fight win streak between 2015 and 2019.
These days, however, Krause is better known as a coach, and recently saw Brandon Moreno win an interim title under his guidance.
“I’ve said this so many times, and this is the No. 1 problem with the sport and the fighters — this has to come to an end at some point,” Krause observed. “It has to. And professional athletics as a whole has to come to an end. Football players, they don’t play until they’re 50. This has to come to an end, and unfortunately, we don’t get to pick it. Most of the time our body gets to pick it. I am fortunate enough to be able to call my shot now, and I can say it now — sh*t man, you’re never going to see me fight again.”
“I am done with this sport. I’m at peace with it. I have no desire to fight again. I really don’t. My desires and my fulfillment have now shifted toward coaching. Moments like Brandon Moreno and the rest of my team, I get fulfillment out of those. So you can call this my official retirement or whatever, but I do not plan on ever fighting in the UFC ever again.”
Krause began his professional fighting career in 2007, and competed for Titan FC, WEC and other organizations prior to joining the UFC in 2013.
