Chad George To Retire After LXF Fight – MMA News

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Chad George has been fighting his entire life, and as a mixed martial artist specifically for the last 15 years. On July 6, he’s scheduled to fight for 15 more minutes as the veteran Southern California fan favorite will mark the end of his crowd-pleasing career with a farewell fight during LXF 2.

The 37-year-old George has compiled a 17-8 record and has competed for the likes of Bellator and WEC. He will be stepping into the cage for the last time ever as a pro against Hector Valenzuela (6-11).

The Jewish-Italian George, born in Sacramento, has come a long way since being bullied throughout his childhood and twice being homeless. Martial arts and MMA changed his life, and in retirement, he’s looking forward to taking on the next chapter of his life and using the sport to help others.

“My career as an MMA fighter has been nothing short of the Cinderella story,” said George. “I’ve had every single up and down that you can think of, and I would change absolutely nothing about it. Those were just building blocks for who I was supposed to be. Easily the biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome is myself. I had low self confidence and never gave myself enough credit. Today, fighting has given me the power to overcome all of that. To believe in myself and have the tools to empower others to do the same.”

George, a jiu-jitsu and boxing specialist, said he ultimately wants to leave a lasting legacy so that people can believe in themselves. He’ll continue doing that by helping lead the next generation of fighters through the Gardena, Calif.-based gym that he’s owned and operated for the last five years. He will be sharing the tricks of the trade and wisdom in a big-brother role moving forward at the California Mixed Martial Arts (CMMA).

“Fighting has given me a platform to teach others to ‘fight’ for whatever they want in life,” he said. “It’s time to pass the torch. Fighting is selfish. It’s time to be more selfless.”

George is also satisfied that he’ll get to put on his gloves one last time in Los Angeles, a place where his career first started back when MMA was first initially sanctioned in the state.

“It’s only fitting to end a legacy where I started and with the best promotion in my city with Lights Out Xtreme Fighting,” said George.

Should he win, George will celebrate with a steak and a glass of whisky. Until then, he’s embracing and soaking in every step of the process leading up to his final walk to the cage one last time.

“It’s an end of an era. It’s an emotional journey, but it’s time,” said George. “This fight is my going away party. I’m looking forward to closing this chapter of my journey and seeing what my next pages open.”