In an unpredictable turn of events, Alex Enlund announces his retirement from mixed martial arts.
The former Cage Warriors featherweight world champion confirmed the news to Peter Carroll of MMA Fighting.
“The previous losses I had kind of broke my heart, I was emotionally distraught back then when I lost. I was too okay about the result of the fight, and this was in a fight that I thought I had won,” Alex Enlund told MMA Fighting in the announcement of his retirement.
Enlund, 30, spent more than a year on the sidelines due to a suspected lesion on the brain, which was discovered upon signing to the UFC in August 2016.
The lifelong martial artist was medically cleared by a neurosurgeon in June, but by this point, the UFC had terminated his contract.
Upon receiving medical clearance, free agent Alex Enlund agreed to compete against purposeful power puncher and well-regarded lightweight, Kane Mousah.
Promoted by Absolute Championship Berkut in the ‘Steel City’, his homecoming was far from the jubilant affair which it was predicted to be.
Mousah, although the firm underdog, brought his best efforts to Sheffield, unexpectedly knocking Enlund down to the canvas early in the contest.
South Shields’ Enlund fought gallantly but at the same time, he was sincerely unrecognisable from three years earlier when he captured Cage Warriors gold.
He came close with a rear-naked choke and controlled the third round but it was too late, with the judges almost unanimously awarding the decision to Mousah.
Potentially, Enlund was a victim of his own narrative, one which – had it written itself – should have concluded with his triumphant return.
This pressure; whether Enlund admits or not, seemed to play a part in his comeback, but as Alex delivered an emotional dialogue in the wake of his loss, it was evident that the defeat would not define him.
With his time as a fighter now over, Enlund will fully focus on nurturing the talent coming through at SBG South Shields.
Alas, if he’s half as successful as a coach as he was in the life he leaves behind, then his next chapter will certainly be one of prosperity.
