Mark
O. Madsen is hanging up the four-ounce gloves at 39 years
old.
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A silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 Olympics,
Madsen recently announced his retirement from mixed martial arts
through Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet.
“The time is right,” Madsen said. “…The sport has shaped me as a
person, and I am grateful for everything it has given me and my
family.”
Madsen made his professional MMA debut in September 2013 and was
victorious in his first 12 bouts. This included four
UFC appearances, where he secured victories against the likes
of Vinc
Pichel, Clay Guida,
Austin
Hubbard and Danilo
Belluardo. He ended his career with back-to-back losses against
Grant
Dawson and Jared
Gordon, where he was finished in both outings. His last fight,
against Gordon, came at UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden this past
November.
“A large part of your identity lies in the job,” Madsen said.
“Especially as an elite athlete, where the structure of everyday
life is often dictated by your job. But I am 39 years old, and
there are still many things in life I want to achieve.”