Nine-fight UFC vet and former Cage Warriors champion Jack Shore has decided to hang up his gloves.
Shore announced via social media this week that he would call an end to his MMA career, retiring at just 29 years old. He leaves behind a campaign that saw him become one of the break-out Welsh stars, standing out on the European scene before making it to the world stage.
“As what may come as a surprise to a few I’ve decided to hang up the gloves on my professional fighting career,” Shore wrote on social media this week. “After fighting out my contract and taking some time to think about what’s next it’s clear to me that my time with professional fighting is done. Although I had the chance to re-sign with UFC, I’ve decided my times done. I want to thank the UFC for letting me live out my childhood dream of fighting for the worlds biggest organization and against some of the best in the world, I’ve enjoyed every minute!
Shore noted in his statement that he made the call to retire after noticing that he had become mentally “checked out.”
“I always promised myself when I was mentality checked out I would retire from the sport rather than the sport retire me,” he wrote. “Injures have caught up with me after a lifetime in the sport. I’m leaving with my mental in check, good health, financially stable and am fully ready to move onto the future … “I’m a martial artist for life and will never not be involved in the sport I love, but the love for the game just isn’t there like it was and for that reason I know it’s time to step away.”
Shore became involved in combat sports at a young age, training at the Abertillery, Wales-based gym run by his father, Richard Shore. By the age of 17, Shore began his career as an amateur fighter.
Shore went untouched on the amateur scene, picking up a dozen victories from 2012 to 2015. He won the 2015 IMMAF European lightweight tournament, scoring four victories over the course of one weekend, including three via first-round submission.
The early years of Shore’s professional career, which started in 2016, almost entirely took place in Cage Warriors. After an impressive run of eight victories in the promotion, he grabbed the promotion’s vacant bantamweight title with a stoppage win over Mike Ekundayo in 2018.
Still undefeated and nearing a dozen wins, Shore defended his Cage Warriors belt once in 2019 against Scott Malone before he was approached with a UFC deal.
For years, Shore was a rising name in the bantamweight division, getting past experienced names like Timur Valiev and Hunter Azure amid his rise. However, by 2022, a matchup against Ricky Simon ended in a second-round rear naked choke loss for Shore, snapping a 16-fight undefeated record and beginning his troubles in the division.
Shore would go on to win just one of his next three fights, suffering submission defeats earlier this year to Joanderson Brito and Youssef Zalal.
Shore is just one of a few Welsh fighters who not only captured a title in Cage Warriors but parlayed that success into a UFC career. Alongside names like Brett Johns, Mason Jones, and Jack Marshman, he is one of the more prominent figures to have emerged from the 3 million population country.
“What a journey. For once, I can finally say I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and always did my best. Hopefully, when people think of Welsh MMA they’ll always think of Tank Shore. Big Love to you all. Tank out.”
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