Heavyweight John Olav Einemo, the former ADCC champ who made a return to MMA in 2011, has decided to hang up the gloves after being released by the UFC. The 37-year-old Norwegian went 0-2 in the organization. MMA Fighting has the news via Norwegian publication VG Nett:
Einemo told the paper that he could have returned to the UFC with a few wins, but decided against trying because it would require spending time away from his family. He said he would continue to stay involved in the sport as a coach and to help the sport grow in his native Norway.
Einemo won the ADCC’s in 2003, and is the only man to defeat legend Roger Gracie in the history of the tournament. He fought once in Pride in 2006, picking up his first career loss to Fabricio Werdum. After one more win over James Thompson in 2006, he was forced out of the sport for close to five years due to injuries.
The Golden Glory fighter returned in 2011 when he was signed by the UFC to face Shane Carwin at UFC 131, but he ended up facing Dave Herman instead. He lost by second-round TKO, but picked up a fight of the night bonus. He fought again at UFC on Fox against Mike Russow, but dropped a decision and was subsequently released.
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