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Jake Ellenberger Announces Retirement Following TKO Defeat at UFC Fight Night Lincoln



It’s been a tough stretch lately for former welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger, but on Saturday, “The Juggernaut” got to say a heartfelt goodbye in his home state.

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Ellenberger lost his fourth straight fight and for the ninth time in his last 11 outings against Bryan Barberena in a featured bout at UFC Fight Night 135. The end came 2:26 into the opening round, when Barberena dropped his foe with a couple right hands and pounced with punches on the ground to earn the stoppage. After the defeat, Ellenberger announced his retirement to an appreciative throng at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.

“That was a tough fight. Bryan caught me. Hat’s off to him,” Ellenberger said in the Octagon. “I’ve got to say there’s no better place for me to set the gloves down and say it’s time to move on than in the same place I started.”

With that, Ellenberger laid his gloves down in the center of the cage to signify the end of his fighting career. The 33-year-old Omaha, Neb., native exits the sport with a 31-15 career mark that includes a 10-10 record in UFC competition.

“I’ve fought here [Nebraska] my whole life,” Ellenberger said. “It means the world to me. Thank you guys and I love you.”

Ellenberger kicked off his professional tenure in 2005, competing in promotions such as International Fight League and Bellator before signing with the UFC. After dropping his debut to Carlos Condit, “The Juggernaut” won eight of his next nine in the Octagon to establish himself as one of the top welterweights in the world. From there, however, a lengthy slump ensued, as he went just 2-9 from July 2013 to August 2018.

The Reign MMA representative scored notable triumphs against the likes of Matt Brown, Josh Koscheck, Nate Marquardt, Diego Sanchez, Jake Shields and Mike Pyle during his career.

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