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  - UFC FIGHTER CHARLES McCARTHY RETIRES
Thursday, April 24, 2008 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com
American Top Team middleweight “Chainsaw” Charles McCarthy has decided that his last fight with Michael Bisping will be the last fight in his career. The former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor announced on Thursday that he is retiring from active mixed martial arts competition.
“I would like to announce my formal retirement from Mixed Martial Arts competition,” said McCarthy in a prepared statement. “I have achieved many of the goals I set out to accomplish in this sport and found others just out of reach. It is now time for me to lay down my gloves and rededicate my attention towards my business, my fighters, my family and my team.
“The successes I have found in my career are due in large part to all the great people who have helped me along the way. Being involved with the true champions at American Top Team has guided me to become a better father, husband, teacher and friend. Without the great generosity of ATT my life would have had a void. I hope that everyone reading (this) can one day feel the love of a great family as I have.”
McCarthy told MMAWeekly.com about the specifics surrounding his decision to leave the sport. “My goal in my career was always to be the best, and you know it just didn’t work out this time. I’m okay with that. I kind of hit the whole glass ceiling in my career and I don’t feel like dwindling on past my usefulness.”
He also went onto say that the decision to leave is something that he thought about prior to the fight with Bisping.
“It’s something that was in the back of my head a little bit,” McCarthy commented about the timing of his retirement. “We train so hard and we put so much time into it. I figure I’ve worked since November to do this and there’s so many other things going on in my life that I put on the back burner since November. You know, at the end of the day, that paycheck that used to be enough, isn’t enough anymore.”
While he now retires from fighting, McCarthy will still be a major player in mixed martial arts, training and teaching new fighters at his BocaMMA facility (an American Top Team affiliate), along with friend and trainer Cole Miller.
“I have a gym full of guys that need my attention, so I plan on giving them as much of that as they can possibly handle,” he stated. “I think out of everything that’s what I enjoy doing the most and I’d like to be able to focus my attention on that.”
McCarthy looks back fondly on his time as a fighter, though, seeming to have no regrets, appreciative of the experience.
“Thank you to all who have supported Mixed Martial Arts. You have helped me live out a childhood dream of being a professional athlete. I am proud to say that in some small way I helped to grow our great sport and entertain fans across the world. Some of the best friends I have made throughout my career I met on the other side of the cage. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to compete with them and entertain the fans.”
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