It wasn’t easy for former NFL standout Shawne Merriman to walk away from the game he loves, but the former linebacker-turned-MMA-promoter knew when it was time. He hopes UFC’s Tony Ferguson will also have that revelation.
The biggest similarity between football and MMA is that they are both very physically demanding sports that take a toll on the body. Mentally, Merriman believed he could still compete on the field, much like Ferguson believes he can still fight against the best inside the cage. However, when the body wasn’t on the same page, and that’s when Merriman knew it was time to retire.
“If your body can’t hold up to compete, it is extremely dangerous,” Merriman told MMA Junkie. “That’s why, when you look at somebody like Tony Ferguson – like yeah, you can go in there and fight, but how are you going to look? How are you going to perform? When you can’t perform anymore, it becomes very dangerous, man.
