Veteran MMA lightweight John Gunderson is hanging up his gloves after more than a 12-year run fighting in promotions such as IFL, WSOF and the UFC. Gunderson, a native of Medford, Ore., retires with a professional record of 35-16-2. He made his professional debut after boxing as an amateur in the Pacific Northwest and at one point held several regional titles before moving to bigger events. Gunderson, 35, was scheduled to add another major promotion to his resume with a scheduled fight against Alexander Sarnavskiy at Bellator 128, but told MMAjunkie he withdrew from the October event, citing a lack of drive to compete and desire to move into other ventures. A Bellator official said Sarnavskiy (28-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) now is scheduled to fight Derek Campos (15-4 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) at the event, which takes place at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The event’s main card airs live on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com
MMAjunkie Radio (noon ET): Demian Maia, John Gunderson, Matthew Riddle
February 14, 2014