After his first fight at Madison Square Garden, veteran UFC heavyweight Gian Villante says he’ll call it a career.
Villante, who at UFC 268 faces Chris Barnett, announced to Newsday he will retire following the pay-per-view event on Saturday in New York City.
The 36-year-old New Yorker has lost his past three fights and is 7-10 overall in his eight-year octagon career. A holdover from the now-defunct Strikeforce, Villante holds wins over current Bellator light heavyweight title challenger Corey Anderson and The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Ed Herman.
Lately, Villante has focused his efforts on education as he took a job as a substitute teacher, also coaching 8th grade football and targeting another coaching job on the school wrestling team.
I feel for fighters like him. Entertaining guy but it’s as if I’ve seen him concussed a dozen times. I wish him the best.
Best of luck to him. Cool guy. Should’ve not gone up to heavyweight tho.
I’ve never seen a fighter show up more fat and sloppy than Gian these last few.
Not true, you only have to look at his last opponent… Jake Collier. Gian said I bet I come in more fat and sloppy to the fight, Jake said “Hold my Gravy Boat”.
guy has been fighting in the UFC for probably a decade and he is now getting paid $125 per day as a substitute teacher and around $4000 to coach middle school sports. Hopefully he invested well and can get a full time teaching position
He looks so out of shape