After waiting more than four years to make his return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, veteran fighter Frank Trigg will probably be dropped from the organization once again. And if that's the case, he's likely to retire from the sport.
Following the Sept. 19 event, UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Trigg probably won't get another fight in the organization. If that's the case, Trigg today said, his career is likely over.
"I think Trigg is one of those guys (like Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic)," White said after the conclusion of the UFC 103 post-fight press conference. "These (other) guys are young and explosive. There's just a whole other level of talent out there, man, and that's the way it works. That's the way this business is."
So, will he give it some thought before terminating the contract?
"I doubt it," White shrugged. "He got smoked tonight."
Trigg (19-7 MMA, 2-4 UFC), who suffered two title losses to then-champ UFC welterweight champ Matt Hughes in his first UFC run, posted a 7-3 record after leaving the organization in 2005 and posted four straight victories to earn his way back. During the time away, Trigg defeated notables Jason "Mayhem" Miller for the ICON Sport middleweight title and topped Kazuo Misaki at PRIDE 33, among other victories.
His UFC 103 appearance proved a short one, though. Koscheck connected and dropped Trigg early and delivered additional blows to force the stoppage at the 1:25 mark of the first round.
"I made a stupid mistake," Trigg said. "I stood on his foot in the corner, and I got caught with a punch."
If White does go through with his plans to cut Trigg, the 37-year-old fighter said his career has likely concluded.
"If they say I'm done, I'm done," he said. "If the UFC cuts me, I'm done fighting. I don't have the strength or determination to go fight in the minor leagues anymore. I've done it before.
"I didn't come back here for one fight ... so I could say I retired as a UFC fighter. I came back to make a run at a title fight. I want to fight. But if they're done with me, that's it."
excellent!
Tough stuff.
The guy says he wants to come back to make a title run and gets KO'd by a guy top 5 in the weight class.
He could stick around and fight lower level guys, but he obviously doesn't have a path to a shot at the title at his age so I think he needs to be honest with himself and not put in the UFC's hands.
The good news is that Trigg is still listed on the UFC.com website.
sad :(
I thought Josh hit him in the back of the head. Im not sayin it would have changed the outcome though
What a bunch of bullshit. The UFC keeps around guys who have far less talent than Frank Trigg. Frank's first fight back in the UFC was against top 5 ranked Josh Koscheck, he loses, and then he's done?
Yet they keep the European card contingent who have a combined UFC record of three and sixty four, against much weaker competition.
How is Frank going to pay the bills?
It's over...you KNOW!
a ufc 2010 in hawaii could use him in a severe way.
jus sayn.
He definitely doesn't deserve to have his career end after that fight. Kos is a monster and a tough fight for anyone.
Just because the likelihood of him becoming champion is slim doesn't mean there aren't some good fights for him out there.
It's not like he needed a can to shake off the ring rust. He was lucky to get a top guy like kos...that woulda fast tracked him to a title fight....risk/reward didn't pay off for him. I'd still like to see him fight again though
Who would have thought, he did step on Koschecks foot: http://i33.tinypic.com/2mo2ded.jpg
You can't really tell THAT much from the fight, i mean, he got caught, even great fighters get caught. It was just one of those winging overhand punches that Koscheck throws without even looking (the very thing i didn't think Trigg would get caught by).
Give the guy at least one more fight. At worst you can give an up an comer a recognisable name to fight against.
dana is a dick.. but probably right... that said, trigg will probably end up in strikeforce for a couple of more fights before hanging it up.
I think Trigg's awesome, but if he really was serious about making a run at the title, Koscheck is a type of guy he NEEDED to get through. If you can't beat Koscheck then you shouldn't consider making a run for the belt.
Thiago Alves and GSP both defeated Kos before getting their title shots.
They keep people like Leben around for years after several shit performances and a failed drug test and then they let Trigg go after a loss against a top five talent.
Makes sense to me..........
What will Trigg do for a job?
I'd say there are a few more guys on the roster deserving of being cut than Trigg. Why cut him anyway? They don't have space for him on the untelevised cards? Or UFN's against some TUF alumni?
Was never the biggest Trigg fan but it's fucked up to cut him after ONE fight against a top 5 WW. He always brings it, nobody can deny that.
Trigg definately deserves another fight