Jessica Eye announces retirement following UFC 276 loss to Maycee Barber
Jessica Eye has fought her last fight.
Following a unanimous decision loss to Maycee Barber at UFC 276 on Saturday, Eye removed her gloves and left them in the center of the octagon in a traditional symbolic gesture of retirement, and then confirmed the decision in her post-fight interview with commentator Joe Rogan.
“Yeah, I think it’s time,” Eye said. “I’ve been a pro since 2009, I’ve had plenty of UFC fights. I met Maycee right after she won the Contender Series and she was sitting by herself and I could see the talent in her. I invited over her over to sit and talk with me and not feel like she was alone.
“If I could give anything back to this sport, it’s we need to stop separating ourselves and help each other as fighters, protect ourselves in so many ways. I’ve won inside the octagon, I’ve lost, but I’ve spent my entire 20s and most of my 30s, I’d like to see what the rest of the world looks like.”
Congratulations @JessicaEvilEye on a great career
— UFC (@ufc) July 2, 2022
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Eye then asked Rogan if she could appear on his popular podcast, to which he replied, “Let’s do it.”
With the loss, Eye dropped her fourth straight unanimous decision and she wraps up her UFC career with a 5-10 (1 NC) record. The 12-year veteran emerged as a contender after moving from bantamweight to flyweight in 2018, rattling off three consecutive decision victories to earn a shot at champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 238. Shevchenko defeated Eye by second-round knockout.
Eye, 35, holds notable wins over top-ranked fighters Viviane Araujo, Katlyn Chookagian, and recent Bellator featherweight title challenger Leslie Smith. She ends her pro career with an overall record of 15-11 (1 NC).