Kansas City, MO – Very few fighters get the ideal exit from MMA at the end of their careers, but UFC light heavyweight Zak Cummings was able to retire from the sport in his hometown surrounded by his friends and family on Saturday night.
“I knew this would be special. I love this stuff. I’ve had so much fun having the training camp, having everything, staying healthy to get to the fight. I got all the way to the end, had the war that I wanted, had the finish that I wanted,” Cummings told reporters including Cageside Press in his post-fight scrum.
“It was so special. I’m not going to taint that. It was fun in there, it was special, it’s time. It’s time.”
The hometown fans were behind Cummings all week long, but specially on fight night where they turned up the volume for the hometown hero.
“KC fans are insane. Any sporting event here and they’re so loud they just get behind everybody,” he said.
Even with the likely end of his career coming Cummings wasn’t completely sure he wanted to walk away. In fact he didn’t really want to walk away at all.
“Now that it’s over I’ll be truthful. I really didn’t want to retire. I had two on my contract and I heard they’re coming to Kansas City and the fight card was full,” said Cummings.
He came up with a plan of sorts to get himself on the card. Even if it meant the end of his career.
“If I got to retire though like that to get me on the card that’s what I’m going to do. That’s kind of like how this started. When I said it I was ok with it,” he said.
“Guys my body is beat up man. I put year and years and years, I mean I went from tackle football at 6-years-old non-stop all the way to…I’ve been in contact sports for most of my life. My body’s pretty shot, pretty beat up.”
At the end of the day he said farewell to the sport he loves surrounded by his friends, family, and filled by the love that only Kansas City could give him.
“I knew I’d have a good reception. This blew my mind. I didn’t expect this. I knew this could be pretty special, pretty cool experience. It surpassed every bit of expectations I had,” said Cummings.
“I think that’s just again one more thing that’s kind of let me know that this is it. It’s time for me to lay the gloves down.”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Zak Cummings above.
