TUF Season 28 Heavyweight Winner Juan Espino Retires From MMA

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Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Juan Espino is deciding to hang up his gloves.

On Friday, Espino (10-2) announced on Instagram that he was retiring from active competition. The 42-year-old heavyweight from the Canary Islands of Spain will be leaving the promotion with three appearances inside the Octagon. Of note, he conquered the tournament from the 28th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2018, eventually submitting Justin Frazier in the first round to secure the six-figure contract and trophy.

“Well up to here. I RETIRE!!!,” Espino wrote on Instagram (via Google Translate). “An incredible journey to get to be among the best fighters in the world and I did it, maybe it wasn’t the way I wanted but the injuries left me no other option. I want to thank all the people who supported me in this adventure, UFC for giving me the opportunity and for all the sponsors who helped me, the coaches, training partners, teams, etc. I truly have a special place in my heart for them. THANK YOU ALL.”

Espino, a practitioner of the Senegalese wrestling style Laamb, won several matches in the African nation to earn the nickname “Leon Blanco” or “White Lion.” A grappler for much of his life, he competed in many World Championship Grappling and European Grappling Championship events, earning multiple gold medals in the absolute and +100 kilogram divisions in both gi and no-gi competition. Espino made his way to the UFC with a record of 8-1 as a pro, including six stoppages, where he beat the likes of Martin Buday and Rodney Wallace on the lower circuits.

“El Guapo” claimed a spot on the Season 28 roster of TUF, where he trained under then-champ Robert Whittaker as the third pick on the blue team. Espino first encountered Ben Sosoli in the quarterfinals on the seventh episode, and he picked up a unanimous verdict after two rounds. In the semifinals, Espino fought in the last heavyweight match on the reality show, and he throttled rival Maurice Greene – who earlier in the season tried to pick fights with him at the TUF house – in the first round with a rear-naked choke.

At the live finale on November 2018, Espino easily handled Frazier with a rare straight armlock in under four minutes. His final pro fight came against Alexander Romanov, in a contentious battle where he dropped a technical split decision when Espino landed a fight-ending illegal knee to the groin. Multiple injuries kept the Spaniard out of action for the last two years, and Espino decided that he would no longer be returning to active competition due to these injuries.