James Vick's last fight: Where did the former UFC fighter compete after being released by the promotion?
James Vick is a former UFC fighter who competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions of the promotion. He was a part of the UFC roster from 2011 to 2019. After the conclusion of his contract, he was released by the UFC and became a free agent.
"The Texecutioner" recently made a comeback to the professional MMA scene. He featured in a fight against Andre Fialho in XMMA: Vick vs Fialho. The event took place on January 30, 20201, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
James Vick's return to the canvas after a year-and-a-half-long hiatus did not end in his favor. He lost the fight via TKO (Punches) in the second round.
Following the fight, James Vick announced his retirement from MMA.
Why did James Vick retire from professional MMA?
James Vick took to social media to explain the reason behind his retirement. On his Instagram account, he posted a photo of himself with a caption detailing his decision. In the caption, he revealed that he has lost love for the sport.
One of the main reasons that made him put on his gloves two years later was to prove to his son that one can get back up from the severest pitfalls and that one should not just give up when the obstacles become too difficult to deal with.
However, he wrote that he realized that there were better ways of imparting the lesson. James Vick also revealed that he was glad that the referee stepped in on January 30. This is because he could feel that Andre Fialho's punches were extremely damaging towards the end of the fight. His orbital bone suffered a bilateral break, and he also dislocated his jaw. Therefore, he decided that not being passionate about the sport and still taking such risks is extremely irrational.
He narrated his journey as an MMA fighter. He began training in MMA when he was 20-years-old. Thus, he found it difficult to keep up with those who had trained in the sport for their entire lives. As a goodbye note, he thanked everybody who assisted him in his MMA career.
James Vick was let go from the UFC following four continuous defeats. His last win inside the UFC Octagon was against Fransisco Trinaldo. Thereafter, he lost to Justin Gaethje, Paul Felder, and Dan Hooker in the Lightweight division. He then shifted to Welterweight and faced Niko Price (Oct 12, 2019), but was defeated in the first round itself via KO.
James Vick's fight with Niko Price was the last one on his contract, after which he was released from the UFC.