Melvin Manhoef is hanging up the four ounce gloves following a mixed martial arts career that began in 1995.
The Dutch knockout artist announced his decision following a third-round knockout loss to Yoel Romero in the Bellator 285 co-main event in Dublin on Friday.
“I want to thank everybody for supporting my career for 28 years – 28 years I’m fighting and I didn’t want to fight a nobody,” Manhoef said during an in-cage interview. “I want to fight names. I did the best that I can. And for 28 years I’m doing this, this is what I love.