MMA Odds: Will Silva, Other Greats Retire In 2017?

After his fight against Mark Hunt last weekend at Fight Night 110, Derrick Lewis hinted that he would be stepping away from the Octagon for good. He’s just one of a few fighters to recently announce their graduation from the fight game.

With so much young talent entering the sport at the moment, it may be time for a few former greats to hang up their gloves. Will 2017 see any more high-profile exits? Here are some picks.

Odds to Retire In 2017

Anderson Silva: 4/1

After his scheduled fight against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 212 fell through, Silva offered UFC boss Dana White an ultimatum: give me an interim title fight against Yoel Romero or I’m retiring.

Dana White was unwilling to play his game, ruling out the possibility of a match-up between Silva and the no. 1 middleweight contender. Will Silva follow through and actually retire?

The Spider is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, but his days on top are long gone. Perhaps it really is time to hang up the gloves. Still, I don’t see him following through this year. 

Holly Holm: 6/1

Holly Holm became a household name after she beat then-undefeated champ Ronda Rousey in one of the greatest underdog stories in MMA history. But, since then, she’s lost three consecutive fights.

If she loses her next fight against Bethe Correia next weekend, her future at the promotion will be pretty uncertain.

Michael Bisping: 19/2

The middleweight champ has spoken honestly about his plans to retire, hinting that he’s only got two fights left in him. He’ll take on the winner of Yoel Romero vs Robert Whittaker, and then possibly Georges St. Pierre. After that, the battered journeyman-turned-champion will bid the UFC farewell.

Vitor Belfort: 31/2

After losing to Kelvin Gastelum earlier this year, Vitor Belfort seemed ready to throw in the towel for good. But following his win against Nate Marquardt last weekend, the 40-year-old veteran seems to have caught his second (or third or fourth) wind.

“I’ve got five more fights to go, guys,” Vitor said in his post-fight interview. “You’re going to have to swallow Vitor Belfort.”

Five more fights may be a generous estimate, but it’s clear “The Phenom” isn’t going anywhere this year unless someone “puts him into retirement” so to speak.

Demetrious Johnson: 19/1

The relationship between the UFC and their pound-for-pound king continues to deteriorate as the promotion insists on pairing Johnson with bantamweight contender TJ Dillashaw. Johnson has ruled over the flyweight division since its inception and a fight against Dillashaw would be his toughest opponent yet. DJ is understandably hesitant about the match-up.

Johnson is just one win away from breaking the UFC’s title defense record, currently held by Anderson Silva. He feels disrespected and slighted by the promotion, and he may decide to call it quits after he claims his coveted 11th title defense.