A huge factor that played a role in the fighter’s decision to hang up the gloves had to due with the finances associated with competing.
“That was another reason about retiring, because it doesn’t pay to lose,” Bermudez said on The MMA Hour. “For example, the Saints just lost the other day and they’re not going to become champions in the NFL, but they’re going to go home and live a very, very comfortable life. In that four-fight losing streak, I was fighting paycheck to paycheck. So even though to the average person, making 50 grand to show up, like, ‘Whoa, that’s a lot of money, I only make that in a year.’ Yeah, but now I have to pay taxes on that. I have to pay my manager. I have to pay my trainers. The diet that you have to eat is way more expensive than Hot Pockets and stuff like that. Eating very clean and the supplements and stuff like that. So 50 grand after all that is said and done is like, 25 grand or something like that? Maybe less? And then living on Long Island is expensive. I have two boys, I have a mortgage on a house, and so I was living fight to fight on a four-fight losing streak there.”
Bermudez retired with a 10-7-0 record in UFC competition and an overall record of 17-9-0.
The retired fighter was also honored to have spent the majority of his career competing at the highest levels of MMA.
“I’m honored to have worked with the highest echelon of MMA,” Bermudez said. “Everybody behind the scenes was very nice to me and I’ve always been a yes man to the company. I’ve been fortunate enough to not have to have a real job, if you will, and just focus on training. I don’t have a huge house, but I own a house. I don’t have a very expensive car, but I have these things, I’ve been able to put food on the table for myself and my kids and not really have to stress about bills. So it could have been worse if I was working a toll booth or something like that.”
There is no word yet on what the fighter is planning on doing in his post-retirement life, as that wasn’t revealed by Bermudez at this time.
