Fabio Maldonado on boxing KO loss: ‘I don’t know how far my body can take it anymore’

Bloodyelbow.com

Former UFC light heavyweight and professional boxer with a 25-3 record under his belt, Fabio Maldonado had a difficult outing from the beginning in his last boxing bout. He was paired up against Olympic boxer and current WBA International and IBO intercontinental champion Michael Hunter, on May 25.

Usually known for his iron chin and ability to absorb punishment all through his career, Maldonado ended up knocked by Hunter just in the second round of their fight at Matchroom Boxing on DAZN, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. A day later, on his Instagram, Fabio left a message to his fans, telling them his future in combat sports is uncertain at the moment.

“I had a really difficult fight at the MGM in the state of Maryland, USA. It was a fight that would put me in the top 10 of heavyweights in the world, but the American Michael Hunter did everything right and defeated me in the second round. I think the referee stopped it too early, but Hunter was a super favorite from the beginning. Throughout my life, I’ve been fighting the best fighters in the world, be it at boxing or MMA, and I’ll have a self-evaluation of it all. I don’t how far my body can take it anymore. Thanks, everyone who cheered for me. Good Sunday to everyone.”

Maldonado (24-12 MMA) was released from the UFC back in November 2015, after unanimous decision losses to Corey Anderson and Quinton Jackson. The 39-year-old left the promotion with a 5-6 record. His loss to Michael Hunter extended his current losing skid to three straight losses in boxing, dropping unanimous decision defeats to Oleksandr Teslenko and Oscar Rivas.