Former UFC women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie was hoping to lay her gloves down in the octagon, but she’s walking away earlier than planned.
De Randamie took to Instagram to announce her retirement from MMA. “The Iron Lady” explained that she was hoping to compete one more time before the end of 2024, but the UFC didn’t grant her her wish after all the remaining cards were full.
“Hey guys,
With so many mixed feelings I’m sharing this message with you guys.
I definitely didn’t plan or envisioned/dreamed it this way but hey it is what it is sometimes.
I begged the UFC for 1 more fight. But it had to be this year. I promised myself I would retire from fighting December 31st 2024.
Unfortunately the UFC told me all cars are fully booked.
That’s why I decided that the time is now. I really wished I could have walked the walk one more time. But I guess it was not meant to be. To many people to thank personally so thank you all for being a part of my journey ❤️
Thank you for all the amazing memories. I’m forever grateful for all of them.
Like I always say ‘DIE WITH MEMORIES, NOT DREAMS.'”
De Randamie (10-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) would have received the send-off she was hoping for when she was booked against Nora Cornolle this past September at UFC Fight Night 243 in Paris, but she was forced to withdraw after breaking her finger and fracturing her foot.
Ag Fight reported that De Randamie was scheduled to face Jacqueline Cavalcanti on Jan. 11 at UFC Fight Night 249, but De Randamie did not address that fight.
De Randamie’s most recent fight came in a decision loss to Norma Dumont at UFC Fight Night 240 in April. The inaugural UFC women’s featherweight champion holds notable wins over current bantamweight champ Julianna Peña, and former champions Raquel Pennington and Holly Holm. She attempted to win a title in a second division in 2019 but lost a unanimous decision to then-bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes.
