Al Iaquinta says his career is likely over.

At UFC 268 in Madison Square Garden, Iaquinta made his return after a three-year layoff to face Bobby Green. It appeared to be a winnable fight, but the contest did not go his way as he lost by first-round TKO.

According to Iaquinta, his recent loss stemmed more from him giving up rather than being knocked out. He also says he believes that will be his final fight.

Al Iaquinta retires on the @CallMeAlShow: pic.twitter.com/iK0wGsrOtc

— Erik (@UebeMMA) November 19, 2021

“Fighting again? I’m thinking that’s it, man, I’m thinking that’s it. That is the way to go out. Obviously, you want to go out on a win, but this sh*t is not worth it dude. You saw Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje fight, those guys beat the hell out of each other. That wasn’t worth it,” Iaquinta said on his Call Me Al Show. “To be honest with you, it was the first fight that I gave up in. He didn’t knock me unconscious, I kind of turned and covered up, I was conscious and knew what I was doing. I just wanted (out), that was it. I realize he hit me hard and it probably wasn’t going to be a good night for me. I was not confident in my preparation, my cardio, my wrestling. These guys are training hard, three times a day, two times a day, really hard. My body just can’t hold up to that anymore. This is the first time in my career ever that I gave up in a fight.”

If Al Iaquinta does retire from MMA, he would end with a professional record of 14-7-1. He is on a three-fight losing streak but he still was a top-ranked UFC lightweight for the majority of his career. He even competed against Khabib Nurmagomedov on 24 hours notice for the belt. Iaquinta also has notable wins over Kevin Lee, twice, Jorge Masvidal, Joe Lauzon, and Diego Sanchez among others.

What is your favorite Al Iaquinta memory?