Erosa Explains His Retirement Call Before UFC Vegas 123

Julian Erosa will walk to the Octagon for the 19th and last time on Saturday. He faces Jeong Yeong Lee on the prelims of UFC Vegas 123 at the Apex, and he has confirmed it is his retirement fight.

The idea has been with him for a while. "I don't want fighting to retire me; I want to retire from fighting," Erosa told BJPENN.com.

Why now

Part of the push came from watching Darren Elkins' interviews after his final fight. "I don't want to be 42, 43 and not have my wits about me," Erosa said.

He also has a two-and-a-half-year-old at home. "What is most important to me is my health," he said. "I love fighting, but it is a short-lived career, and I am satisfied with what I've done; I am content with moving on."

The fight with Lee

Lee is on a two-fight losing skid and could be fighting for his job. Erosa admitted he knew little about him beforehand. "There are a lot of guys in the UFC that I don't know; it's hard to keep track of everybody," he said. His read on Lee: "He's a kid that likes to bang it out in the middle of the Octagon, so there won't be a lack of action."

Erosa is known for fan-friendly style and chaotic fights. This time he says he is mostly focused on getting the win and finishing his career with it. "I want to retire with my gloves in the cage and my hand raised," he said. He added that he believes he could win a boring fight, but has never been in one.

A loss would not change the plan. "If I lose, this will be my last fight as well, because if I don't, it will always be one more fight. Win, lose, or draw, this will be it."

His preferred ending is a submission. "A little bit of wrestling and grappling would be advantageous to me," Erosa said. "I would like to go out and choke him out, but maybe we just stand and bang it out."

Source: BJPENN.com