UFC Light Heavyweight James Te Huna Retires After 25-Fight Career

James Te Huna is hanging up his 4-ounce gloves.

Te Huna, who since 2010 has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division, announced his decision on Monday in a Facebook post.

“I have discovered something that is tough to swallow (but made a lot of sense) since the last fight,” wrote Te Huna, “but this recent decision is a positive step towards a healthy future.

“I hope you can all understand. I gave it everything I had guys, and those closest to me know how much of my life I gave to competition-I didn’t have the gift when I started..just put in the work to chase a childhood dream.”

The 34-year-old slugger returned to the cage in March for his first bout in nearly two years, but his comeback was spoiled in a 52-second knockout loss at the hands of Steve Bosse. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the New Zealand-born 205-pounder, with all of those defeats coming inside the first round.

Te Huna rose to prominence in his adopted home of Australia, where he encountered the likes of Hector Lombard and Anthony Perosh before joining the UFC in 2010. He exits the sport with a record of 16-9, including 10 wins by way of knockout and three via submission.

In his statement on Monday, Te Huna encouraged youth participation in mixed martial arts and stated that he plans to continue to help promote the sport.