Charles Byrd competed four times inside the world-famous Octagon, including at UFC 250 Saturday night.
For Byrd, that was enough, as he announced his retirement following a loss to Maki Pitolo.
Byrd went 10-7 overall, including 1-3 with the UFC. He did earn two wins competing in 2017 on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn his spot within the promotion.
All three of Byrd’s victories under the UFC banner came via submission, including two in the first round. In 2018, he locked up John Phillips with a first round rear-naked choke.
A native of Arkansas, Byrd was raised in Texas where he competed in high school football and wrestling before embarking on a career in MMA in 2009. He won seven of his first 11 fights overall, fighting for Legacy Fighting Championship among other promotions.
“I’ve never been afraid to fail or try,” Byrd posted on Facebook after his fight. “Never thought I’d say this at this moment but I’m ok and accepting that sometimes things in life don’t go as expected.
“Mentally and physically prepared for this bout. But the outcome didn’t go my way. I’m ready to explore that next chapter and path God has for me.
“I appreciate the love and support from everyone friends and family through this journey I call my fight career. Achieved many great things for myself and developed a lot of memories. But time waits for no man. So with that said I’m officially done with fighting.”
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