25-Year-Old UFC Bantamweight Retires Suddenly
25-year-old UFC bantamweight Tom Duquesnoy is walking away from the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) just shy of his 26 birthday.
The “Fire Kid” announced the news Sunday (May 12, 2019) morning via his Instagram account:
“I respect the sport too well to practice it halfway and that’s why I’m at a crossroads where it is essential for me to focus on what I am passionate about most,” Duquesnoy posted in his native French (via Google Translate). “It is also the result of a long introspection that was not obvious since it was my childhood dream to fight at the UFC. … This decision is good for me and comes from the heart. So I’m telling you about my official retirement as a professional MMA fighter.”
Duquesnoy (16-2) was considered one of the rising young prospects in the bantamweight division. In recent years “Fire Kid” had been training with JacksonWink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M.
If the Frenchman does indeed hold true to his retirement, his UFC career consisted of three fights in which he went 2-1.
His only loss in the promotion was to fellow rising contender Cody Stamann at UFC 216. Duquesnoy most recently defeated Terrion Ware in March of 2018.
