5 active UFC veterans who should have retired already
![Frankie Edgar (left), Donald Cerrone (right) [Images Courtesy: @frankieedgar @cowboycerrone on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/01/4d3d1-16414134441595-1920.jpg?w=500)
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping recently stated that "fighters are their own worst enemy". This is especially true in the case of competitors not knowing when it is time to hang up the gloves.
Time after time, we have seen fighters attempt to prolong their fighting careers. They keep going despite their bodies clearly being no longer capable of receiving the punishment needed to be an athlete at the top of the sport.
In the following list, we break down five active UFC veterans who should have retired by now.
#5. Michael 'The Menace' Johnson - UFC lightweight
Michael Johnson has forever been an enigma in the UFC lightweight landscape. 'The Menace' possessed extremely high-level striking that saw him overcome the likes of Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson and Edson Barboza. At times, Johnson appeared destined for UFC title contention.
However, inconsistency has plagued Johnson's entire career. Immediately following his win over Dustin Poirier, he dropped three losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje and Darren Elkins. An impressive win over Edson Barboza got fans talking, but then back-to-back losses against Beneil Dariush and Nate Diaz once again slowed his momentum.
At least these losses were against respected opposition. Johnson has now come up short in his last four fights, having not won since 2018, when he picked up a decision victory over Artem Lobov.
Thiago Moises, Stevie Ray, Josh Emmett and Clay Guida have each got the better of 'The Menace' since the Lobov fight. It would appear that Johnson will never reach the stardom that so many once thought he would achieve.