UFC fighter Steve Bosse retires just weeks after signing with the UFC
If you are unfamiliar with Canadian slugger Steve Bosse, well, he’s a former semi-pro hockey enforcer turned MMA fighter who inked a multi-fight deal with the UFC in February and was booked to take on fellow Canuck Ryan Jimmo at the TUF Nations Finale (no, I do not know what a TUF Nations is) on April 16th. With a record of 10-1 that includes a highlight reel KO over former UFC fighter Houston Alexander as well as wins over UFC vets Wes Sims and Marvin Eastman, many expected “The Boss” (so original) to make a big impact on the UFC’s light heavyweight division when he debuted next month. That was, of course, until Bosse was forced to withdraw from the match after suffering a shoulder injury a couple weeks ago.
But no big deal – give him some time to rest and recover and he’ll come back better than ever before we even knew he was gone, right? WRONG.
You see, after a reported 221 fights on the rink (in the rink?) and 11 fights in the cage dating back to 2007, it would seem that Bosse has accumulated quite a bit of damage over the years. Or as he told La Presse, “My body is talking to me. It's time that I make the right decision.”
Aside from his standing elbow KO of Alexander, Bosse is perhaps best known for his fight with James Thomson back in 2009, which ended with a full scale crowd riot after Thompson allegedly broke a gentlemen’s agreement to keep things standing.
Although Bosse informed La Presse that he has had some four operations and more broken hands than he could count over the years, he also said that his decision to leave MMA was based on the great place in life he has found himself in.
“When I started in hockey, I had rage in me," said Bosse. "This sport helped me channel that. It was my therapy. Today, that rage is no longer in me. Today, I'm doing well. I don't feel the need to fight anymore, to go make war.”
Best of luck to you, Steve. At least we’ll always have the Alexander KO to remember you by. Goddamn was that thing awesome.
