Jack Shore appeared to be the next big thing when he made his UFC debut.
‘Tank’ joined MMA’s premier promotion after amassing an impressive 11-0 record, winning the Cage Warriors bantamweight title and defending it with back-to-back stoppage victories over two tough opponents.
Nohelin Hernandez was Jack Shore‘s first UFC foe. The 10-3 fighter fell short in his UFC debut, but his defeat to Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera has aged well as the Ecuadorian has since proved he is one of best 135lb fighters on the planet.
Shore vs Hernandez kicked off a UFC card in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 29, 2019.
- READ MORE: UFC featherweight announces shock retirement at 29 years old after rejecting contract extension
Jack Shore’s dream start to life in the UFC
Jack Shore was utterly dominant with his wrestling against Nohelin Hernandez at UFC Copenhagen
The proud Welshman took his opponent down in the first and second rounds before closing the show in the third frame.
Shore locked in a super-tight rear-naked choke to force Hernandez to tap out and live up to his pre-fight billing from Dana White, who branded him ‘the hottest prospect out of the UK’.
The UFC boss celebrated being proven right on social media before giving Shore a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
“I’m over the moon. It’s a dream start in the UFC,” he said post-fight.
“I’m known as a finisher and I wanted to let everyone know my intentions. I’ve trained harder and prepped better than ever for this fight. To get a win like that was a dream come true.”
Shore kept his dream start to life in the UFC going with three more wins that made him a potential contender. Unfortunately, Ricky Simon submitted the 29-year-old and derailed his hype train in July 2022.
A move up in weight led to a win over Makwan Amirkhani – but since then Shore has suffered two successive losses, including a recent defeat to Youssef Zalal, that have prompted him to announce his premature retirement from fighting.
Jack Shore retires
On Wednesday, Jack Shore issued a lengthy social media statement about his combat sports career.
‘Tank’ revealed that his UFC contract has expired. There was an option to re-sign with MMA’s premier league, but he has decided to focus on other things moving forward.
“Hello guys, been quiet for a while enjoying time with my friends and family,” Shore wrote on Instagram.
“As what may come as a surprise to a few I’ve decided to hang up the gloves on my professional fighting career. After fighting out my contract and taking some time to think about what’s next it’s clear to me that my time with professional fighting is done.
“Although I had the chance to re-sign with UFC I’ve decided my times done. I want to thank the UFC for letting me live out my childhood dream of fighting for the world’s biggest organization and against some of the best in the world, I’ve enjoyed every minute!
“From what started as a kid with a dream led me to amateur titles, world titles, and living out my dream of fighting in the UFC. I can truly say for every single fight I gave the training and the fights my all, never said no, never asked questions just kept my head down, stayed true to myself, and achieved more than I ever thought possible.
“For the entirety of my 20s fighting and training was my life and sole focus, however, the last few weeks/months have showed this is no longer the case. And I always promised myself when I was mentality checked out I would retire from the sport rather than the sport retire me. Injuries have caught up with me after a lifetime in the sport. I’m leaving with my mental in check, good health, financially stable, and am fully ready to move onto the future.”