Niko Price wins his farewell fight in round one – and leaves the door open
The 36-year-old stopped Leon Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 122 after 1:58. The UFC billed it as his last fight, but Price said: “You might see me again.”
Symbolic image · Photo: U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tianna Wilson / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
Niko Price won his billed farewell fight at UFC Vegas 122 in Las Vegas. The welterweight stopped Leon Shahbazyan with punches at 1:58 of the first round and earned a $25,000 finish bonus. After the win, his wife and daughter joined him in the cage, Cageside Press reports.
Price had announced his retirement after a submission loss to Michael Chiesa in March in Seattle, a moment overshadowed by Chiesa's own farewell. According to Boxing News, Price had lost four in a row. The bout against Shahbazyan was meant to give him a proper send-off.
The retirement may not be final, though. “Hey, if you guys call me, I might answer,” Price told Michael Bisping in the cage, according to MiddleEasy, adding: “You might see me again, you never know.” After the fight, the UFC described it as his last appearance.