Earlier this week, Tim Kennedy announced his retirement. Joining him will be Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) strawweight Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger. She began her professional career in July 2012, but was an amateur two years prior.
Jones-Lybarger competed on the second Invicta FC event. She won in her debut over Cheryl Chan by unanimous decision. Jones-Lybarger made her UFC debut at UFC 194 against Tecia Torres. She then went toe-to-toe with Randa Markos six months later. The MMA Lab fighter recently fought Nina Ansaroff at a UFC Fight Night event in Phoenix.
She fell short in all three bouts. If Jones-Lybarger stuck around, she probably would’ve been released from the UFC. While Invicta FC could’ve been a landing spot, Jones-Lybarger is at peace with her decision to walk away from the sport.
In a Facebook post, she thanked her family, friends and those who supported her in her journey:
“Family, friends and fans, first of all I want to say thank you so much for all the love and support. It’s something I can see and have felt throughout out my career and I’m very thankful for it all. I have been doing what I love for almost nine years now and I can promise you I gave it everything I had. Tonight I’m so excited to announce my retirement from fighting. I’m ready for what’s next. I’m ready to be with my wife and kids, to be the best wife and most of all to be the best step mom to our girls. Kennedy and Ellie I love you both so much. I want to thank my coach John Crouch for always supporting me in and out of the cage. Thank you coach Eddie, Wil and Jarret! Thank you Mike Dolce for always being on my team. I owe everything to my brothers and sisters at the MMA LAB thank you.”
