Last week was apparently a good one to say good-bye. In the span of 48 hours, the sport wished happy trails to a quartet of fighters who ranged from solid to excellent. Nick Hein, Jimi Manuwa, Muhammed Lawal and Alexander Gustafsson all decided that it is a good time to move on to the next chapter of their respective lives.
Some of those departures are more surprising than others. Gustafsson, for instance, is just 32 years old and one fight removed from a UFC championship bout. There is no doubt he is still capable of beating good fighters within the promotion.