ADCC champion, UFC fighter Jon Olav Einemo calls it quits

Today, news broke that former Abu Dhabi Combat Club winner and UFC combatant Jon Olav Einemo retired from active competition in Mixed Martial Arts. Einemo, best known for his high-level submission skills, made this somewhat surprising decision after being cut by the UFC.

An ADCC champion in 2003, he was noted for defeating the famed Roger Gracie in grappling. It seemed that for a moment in 2011, Einemo would have a shot at popular fighter Shane Carwin at UFC 131.  It was not in the cards, however, as Carwin stepped in to replace Brock Lesnar in facing current Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos. Einemo then fought Dave Herman on the same card and was knocked out in an exciting match.

Einemo was then released by Zuffa, along with all Golden Glory-trained fighters, after last summer’s oft-discussed dispute over fighters’ purses. After the dust had settled on the controversy, Einemo found himself with another chance. He faced Mike Russow at UFC on Fox 2, but never came close to submitting his opponent while being out-wrestled the entire match.

Einemo had experienced a long layoff from the sport of MMA due to a myriad of concerns such as injuries and personal matters. One has to wonder how a man of his size and grappling ability could have fared in the UFC during his prime years. In any case, Einemo will choose to retire rather than decline in skill, and raise his family on his own terms. The MMA world lost a true submission expert today, one that we probably never got to see the best of. – More on Einemo at mmafighting.com

Further Reading: ZUFFA releases Marloes Coenen, Jon Olav Einemo and Valentijn Overeem