Frank Trigg Likely to Retire After UFC 103 Loss, Impending UFC Release
With the UFC reportedly set to cut Frank Trigg following his unsuccessful return to the Octagon on Saturday, the veteran fighter is now likely to retire from the sport.
According to MMAjunkie, UFC President Dana White said following Trigg’s loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 103 that Trigg was unlikely to fight again for the promotion.
“I think Trigg is one of those guys (like Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic),” White said. “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. I doubt [he'll fight again in the UFC]. He got smoked tonight.”
If the UFC follows through on its promise to cut the two-time welterweight title challenger, the 37-year-old Trigg is expected to call it quits.
“If they say I’m done, I’m done,” Trigg 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.”
Tags: Dana White, Frank Trigg
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Wow.
One and done?
That seems a bit harsh, even from Dana White.
I admit that Trigg is no longer a top 10 WW, and I don’t know if the case could be rationally made by anyone that he is, but kicking him to the curb, and essentially out of the sport, for losing to Josh Koscheck seems unduly severe.
I’m also thinking that if Trigg were some reality show contestant, instead of just a MMA fighter who worked his way thru the ranks, a single loss to Koscheck wouldn’t merit the ax.
IMO Trigg is a good if no longer great fighter, and has the sort of engaging personality that warrants outside-of-the-Octagon consideration, especially when you factor in that Zuffa is considering doing something with the PRIDE brand at some point.
I think Trigg and Glazer made a decent enough team for MMA, and would like to see them snag some commentating duties somewhere, possibly Strikeforce or with the next inevitable UFC casualty [like Affliction] that starts promoting MMA.
Also, UFC aside, I think Trigg could still make a go of it in Japan, or Strikeforce, if he so chose.
I know he regards that option as “minor league”, and I suppose to a certain extent it is, but the Trigg I saw at 103 wasn’t so awful that he should be considered a non-viable MMA commodity.
And so much for the idea that he was going to beat Josh Koscheck.
Regardless, I wish Trigg well in whatever future endeavors he pursues…
I’d like to see Twinkle Toes get one more shot. I think the fans would, too.
Man sometimes Dana just needs to shut his mouth. Someday one of these fighters are just going to up and whoop his ass for how he talks about them. Those are words that should be said to Frank in private, no need to take them public. I like that Dana tells it like he sees it but no need to kick Frank while he is down.
I’m not defending White’s comments, but at Trigg’s stage of the game, he should know by now, like we all should, that Dana shoots off his mouth first, and thinks a distant second.
Apologies are of course out of the “fu<king" question…
Hah yeah. Im just waitin for the day when Dana sligns his mud in the wrong direction and someone doesnt feel like hearing it anymore.
That’ll be the day that some fighter gets arrested and put in jail for assault if they hit him.
it could also be the day the Fertitta’s make said fighter a warm bed in the Nevada desert…
His words don’t seem that harsh.
At least you know where Dana stands. If he says it, he means it. I really think his personality (love it or hate it) has made MMA a reputable business. He says what he does and does what he says. Would you rather he be more like a boxing scumbag?
Tito called Dana out. Dana trained and even talked about how he was going to get his ass handed to him as a 7 course meal. In the end, Dana showed up and Tito didnt.
I can respect that. I don’t think Dana tries to be a jerk. Most fighters seem to actually like him. At least Dana is not wishy-washy or a liar. Fighters can count on him to do what he says and not BS about where he stands.
I’m not quite sure I agree with the idea that Dana White would involve the police if one of his fighter’s snapped and popped him one.
White’s rep is as a legitimate tough guy, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, and whining to the cops when you catch five across the eyes isn’t really a “tough guy” thing to do.
Would the offending fighter lose his job?
Probably.
Would the offending fighter experience some episode of what’s frequently called in Las Vegas “casino-directed bad luck”?
Definitely.
But I don’t see a rough around the edges Boston guy pu$$ing out and sniveling to the cops like a p!mp-slapped b!tch, as the old song goes.
White commands major respect, and I think both he and the Fertitas realize that respect partly facilitates their multi-million dollar business, so yeah, I’m thinking the cops are kept out of this one, and it’s handled in-house…
Go to strikeforce and fight mayhem after he smashes Jake shields. Mayhem needs to avenge the loss to trigg.
Yeah that is harsh he gets caught and now he’s out cuz he lost to kos. If that’s the case they should have dropped GSP for getting smashed by nobo…I mean Serra.
The only right thing to do is for the UFC to have Trigg Hughes 3. Loser retires…
Trigg is done man. Honestly, who can he beat thats a top 10 WW fighter in the UFC. I rather see some young guy they try to pick up like Nick Diaz or The Whitemare. Casual MMA fans probably don’t even know who Frang Trigg is, so its not like he’s going to be a reason why people order UFC.
Just my IMO
I really hope they don’t cut Trigg. There are guys in the UFC that he can beat. Is he still a world beater? No, he never was, but he can still beat guys currently on the UFC roster, and I’d like to see him do that.
Trigg vs. Serra?
Did nt Dana offer to fight Tito a few years ago when they had their big fall out. Perhaps 1 of the fighters who are supposedly past it will take up Dana s offer for a meeting in the octagon. You have to admit now a UFC staring Dana White in the octagon would sell
I believe Dana challenged him to a boxing match…and yes, Serra would beat Trigg…actually, I’d like to see that fight…I’d like to fing out who Serra is fighting next…
serra > trigg
Maybe. But I would like to find out.
i second this…
..ill just make my point here, i think that the UFC has a pretty crappy policy on its mid level fighters. if you just dont have the talent or drive to make a run for the title, your job may be in trouble. all of their mid teir fighters that get cut go to another promotion and dominate in their weight classes, but dont make squat. its a pretty harsh situation if all you try to do is make a living instead of continueing to break your body down while your clearly past your prime. i never thought that it was realistic that trigg make a title run anytime soon, because he hasnt been fighting top fighters since his first UFC stint, and when he loses to a world ranked WW he is in danger of being fired? not cool.
And yeah, while my first impression is that Serra would simply take Trigg to the mat, where he could submit him, I wouldn’t be adverse to seeing it play out, even if I had to pay for it as part of an event.
Also, on the off-topical subject of Serra, I think it bears posting [and remembering] that although we often use Serra as the punchline to frenZied jokes, he IS in fact the last man to beat the Greatness, and however temporarily wear the 170 belt.
He was also in his fighting prime a hella tough competitor, AND most recently did his level best against the man Dana White frequently calls, “the most dominating WW champion of all times”, Matt Hughes.
Maybe its time we cut Serra a little slack, and afford him at least a modicum of respect and consideration…
Its economics.
I await the salaries but I bet Trigg made more than 20k. 20k is about what a newer fighter would have made in a similar fight. A new fighter also has a future in the sport.
I like Trigg. I met him and I think he is a good human and I wish him all the luck. He is past his prime though.
Everyone is upset that he is being cut. Read what Trigg says though. “If they cut me, I’m done”. He doesnt have the fire anymore. The UFC is the major leagues. If he isnt willing to work it out in the minors then he should retire. He also isnt a draw for the UFC. If the UFC does another “comebacks” season, maybe that would get Trigg’s name out there to the US fans and he could stay. For now though, he isnt a draw and I think the UFC is making a wise business decision.
I think most people agree with this statement: I would rather watch young up and comming tallent battle for the top 10 than an older fighter who still fights well but has little left to offer the sport.
Finally, and most importantly. This sport is going to have this same issue for the next 10 years at least. Fighters like Trigg got into MMA from another sport. As the years roll by, people training MMA are getting younger and younger. As that happens, younger people are going to be dominant because they “grew up with it” rather than learned something else and picked up MMA. Lets call it Tiger Woods syndrome.
The problem with some of this is, how the heck does the UFC plan on putting on 3 events per month in 2010 and still not employ guys like Trigg?
I think the HW division is going to pick up and put on more fights, unless this season of TUF stinks. That doesnt really answer your question but it does back fill a little. You are more in touch with the roster, Ill just hope your concerns are answered. Im not trying to thin out a weighclass, just seperate the wheat from the chaff.
Good. Bye Bye! You shouldn’t have been fighting in the UFC anyway. Well Frank, there’s on thing you’re good at – losing!
FAIL
Yeah… you need to chill on that stuff.
As most fighters say, it’s easy to critisize when your safe at home watching from tv on your recliner
Really?
We’re discussing MMA on a PASS/FAIL basis now?
Maybe you might want to consider broadening your posts to something we can all discuss and share…
“Fail” is the new buzz word for geeks and teens. If its really bad, its “epic fail”.
I’m guessing it just cough on at Q’s middle school.
hey give him a break let him fight serra winner stays loser walks
Hey, you’re only a month late and missed the follow-up stories. No big deal.