UFC lightweight Sam Stout retires following 3rd straight knockout loss

Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout didn't exactly live up to his nickname when in the UFC, but he was always known for putting on entertaining fights and displaying incredible heart, toughness, and a great chin. Unfortunately, that chin has eroded considerably, and within the past year he's been knocked out by K.J. Noons, Ross Pearson, and most recently Frankie Perez. The Canadian lightweight has decided to hang up the gloves for good, in an official statement released to UFC Tonight on Wednesday evening: (Via MMA Fighting)

"It has become clear to me that I am no longer able to compete at the highest level of mixed martial arts," the statement said. "Competing, as a UFC fighter for the last 10 years has been something I will always look back on with great pride. I want thank everyone at Zuffa for giving me the opportunity to do what I love for so many years.

"That being said, I think my best days as a fighter are behind me and it would be a risk to my legacy and my health to continue competing. Therefore I would like to announce my retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts. This is a very difficult decision for me to make, but I am excited about the road ahead, and look forward to the beginning of a new chapter."

Stout (20-12-1) finishes his UFC career with a record of 9-11, picking up 6 Fight of the Night bonuses along the way, as well as a Knockout of the Night for his 2011 KO vs. Yves Edwards, which represented his only finish inside the Octagon. The 31-year-old is best known for his trilogy with American rival Spencer Fisher, whom he beat in his debut in a thriller at UFC 58 back in 2006. Stout later lost the rematch the following year, but took the third bout by unanimous decision in 2012. Stout's final career win was against Cody McKenzie at UFC on Fox 9 in December 2013.

This is the fourth UFC retirement announced within the past two weeks, as Stout joins Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Frankie Perez (the very man who beat Stout on August 23rd), and Jordan Mein on that list.