After 101 or so fights in the kickboxing ring and cage, Melvin Manhoef was done fighting. A bid to capture the Bellator middleweight title and defend it in his native Holland went south – twice – and a first-round knockout this past October felt like a satisfying enough conclusion to his career.
Then Bellator told him about an event planned for Amsterdam, and he agreed to a two-fight contract extension. He’d just beaten two younger opponents at light heavyweight after his title setbacks, so he figured he could stick around longer for a swan song at home.