The end of the road is coming for Julian Erosa. He can sense it.
In fact, it’s close enough that his next one might be … could be … his last one. It’ll be in Seattle, where he was born, and just 150 clicks up the road from his longtime Washington home base in Yakima.
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So a win in front of those home fans? What a great way to walk away, Erosa thinks. And then on the other hand …
“It’s so hard, because a lot of guys want to finish on a win,” Erosa told MMA Junkie Radio. “But I also understand saying, ‘OK, this is going to be my last fight, win, lose or draw.’ That way, you don’t make the decision after the fight. It just is what it is.
“… I’ve always wanted to fight in Seattle, and obviously if I go out there and get a highlight-reel knockout, it does seem like a perfect stage for me to hang it up and walk away … But I just really love fighting, and I on the same token, I can’t imagine going out there and getting a good win and saying I’m going to hang it up.”
Erosa (31-12 MMA, 9-8 UFC) takes on promotional newcomer Lerryan Douglas (13-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a featherweight bout on the prelims at UFC Fight Night 271 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on March 28.
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The 36-year-old Erosa is in his second UFC stint. After he arrived through DWCS, he dropped his first three fights in the promotion and was sent packing. But he got back in less than a year later in a short-notice fight and submitted Sean Woodson.
After a two-fight skid nearly three years ago, he had a three-fight winning streak of first-round stoppages, including one over longtime featherweight standout Darren Elkins. And though none of those three fights were bonus winners, he put on a Fight of the Night performance with Melquizael Costa 10 months ago that got him some extra cash, despite the loss.
The chance to rebound at home is a crucial one. And even though the temptation to call it quits will be there – Erosa said his post-fighting plan for his family is in place, and he’s excited for that chapter – he suspects the end might be still a few fights off.
“I don’t think this is going to be my last one,” Erosa said. “I just signed a new contract with the UFC – a five-fight deal. I do see myself probably retiring within the next five fights. But I just absolutely love this too much and I’m going to take it fight by fight. But I don’t think this is going to be the last one for me.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Julian Erosa suspects he’ll resist temptation to retire at UFC Seattle
