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Julian Erosa’s UFC retirement could not have gone any better as he scored a violent first round knockout at the Meta Apex.
Featherweight veteran Erosa stepped into the cage for his 45th fight as an underdog, marking his 16th fight in such a position. His opponent was Jeong Yeong Lee, who is seven years his junior and returning after over a year of inactivity.
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Erosa’s most famous fight came back in 2016 during his Cage Warriors days when he came to the UK to take on a young Paddy Pimblett. He appeared to many fans to have dethroned the then-featherweight champion, who threw up in the immediate aftermath of their fight, but the judges scored it for the Brit.
In perfect fashion for Halloween night, Julian Erosa scored a scary knockout in his final fight against Jeong Yeong Lee on the undercard of UFC Vegas 123. He had already announced his retirement before the bout, noting that he would be helping his mother’s business.
Julian Erosa heads into retirement with a first-round KO 🤯 pic.twitter.com/tJw7I488oZ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 31, 2026
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Erosa’s entire final fight only lasted a minute and a half, but he somehow still had to overcome adversity when he was rocked early. However, he powered through and landed a massive right hand that rendered his rival unconscious.
He was embraced by his coach Eric Nicksick and immediately removed his gloves almost in order to make his decision before emotion could cause a change of heart. He noted in his post-fight interview that he feels he could fight tomorrow, but that enough is enough at his age.