freeman

It’s a sad time for UK MMA, as pioneer Ian “The Machine” Freeman hangs up the gloves for good. The pioneer will be hard at work on training his team at Machine MMA while continuing his commentating duties. Take a look at his last ever fight which took place last week at WCMMA 4, all in the name of Cancer Research.

The first ever fighter from the UK to compete in the UFC, Ian Freeman went on to win multiple titles in many promotions, including the Cage Rage heavyweight and light heavyweight belts. His most famous victory came in 2002 when he became the first man to stop Frank Mir at UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall. The fight will go down in history as Freeman was overlooked by many beforehand, yet he proved the naysayers wrong by stopping the Las Vegas natives with some powerful strikes.

Thank you Ian for all the great memories and may you legacy live on.

By Mike Clarke (@fightlounge)