Aisling Daly hasn’t fought since October of 2015, and she won’t be fighting again any time soon.
Daly, earlier this week, announced that she would be retiring from mixed martial arts competition. Though she has a 2-1 record in the UFC and is coming off of a victory over Ericka Almeida in her most recent bout, Daly got some bad news during a routine brain scan.
Due to an abnormality believed to be the remnant of a small hemorrhage, Daly said that she likely would have trouble finding a doctor to clear her to fight, and wouldn’t want to take the risk anyway.
Daly released the following statement via her Instagram account:
I will be officially retiring from the sport of MMA.
This past year a routine brain scan showed up evidence of an abnormality, the remnant of a small haemorrhage that had taken place at some point in the months previous. It would be unlikely I would be medically cleared to compete again, even in the event I could find a doctor who would clear me it would be very unwise for me to continue to compete with the risks involved.
My career has ended prematurely but I’m very grateful for my long list of achievements, I am and will always be ‘Ais the first’ for so many things, my legacy set in stone in the history of Irish mixed martial arts. I am the countries first ever world champion, the first and only female to ever do it. I have and always will give back to the sport which has given me so much.
I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the fans who have supported me tirelessly through various parts of the journey. Without this support there is no sport of MMA as we know it.
I would like to thank my good friends and close team mates, there is no substitute for the genuine loyalty built between people over years of blood, sweat and tears.
I am truly most grateful for my wonderful family, who were there to pick up the pieces throughout my entire career and especially now when my dream fell apart. This would have been intolerable without their help, emotionally and financially. They say you can’t choose family but I would want no other.
Now starts the next chapter of my life. I’m very fortunate to have grown up within such an outstanding organisation as SBG. I am equipped with the skills to be an exceptional coach and member of the martial arts community and I look forward to seeing what challenges lie ahead for me. “New Beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”? Lao Tzu
