UFC vet James Vick says he’s fought his final fight, details injuries from knockout loss at XMMA
It appears as though UFC veteran James Vick has had his final MMA fight.
Following a second-round knockout loss to Andre Fialho at this past Saturday’s XMMA event in West Palm Beach, Fla., Vick took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal his plans to move on from the sport of MMA.
“This is not like failing a test or losing a basketball or football game,” Vick wrote. “This is combat sports and this sh*t can be permanent. One of the last punches he landed I knew something was seriously wrong. I’m glad the ref stepped in because lord knows I would have been too tough and dumb to do that.
“My orbital is broke [sic] on my right side, the fracture went all the way through to the other side causing a bilateral break, plus my jaw is completely displaced so [Wednesday] they are finally doing surgery to fix it. It really was a perfectly placed shot. The doctor said I could definitely fight again after this if I wanted to but this was my last fight. I can’t keep putting my family through this.”
The 33-year-old Texas native earned a spot on Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter with just a 4-0 record. He won three fights on the show before losing via TKO to eventual season winner Michael Chiesa. “The Texecutioner” won his first five UFC bouts before losing to Beneil Daruish via first-round TKO at UFC 199. Vick would win his next four fights before booking a main event against Justin Gaethje at UFC Lincoln in August 2018.
After a heated buildup, Gaethje landed an overhand right and ended the bout in 87 seconds – the first of five consecutive losses that left Vick with a 13-6 professional record.
Vick’s final MMA win took place in February 2018, when he defeated Francisco Trinaldo in his home state of Texas at UFC Austin. While the sport gave him some great memories and friendships, he wrote, he felt like it was time to move on and grow with his family.
“It bothers me that my 3-year-old son has to see his daddy with his jaw wired shut for four to six weeks because of all this,” Vick wrote. “He is so little and doesn’t understand. Time to move on and focus more on my family and raising my son to be a great man. Thank you everyone and thank this sport for the memories.”
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