Alexander Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya, & Others Pay Tribute as MMA Fighter Forced to Retire After Health Issues

Brazil, the USA, and Russia may produce the most MMA fighters in the world, but the Asia-Pacific region has also produced some champion fighters. Just like Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya, a lot more budding talents are brewing in Australia and New Zealand. And guess what? The UFC duo could have seen one of their old teammates come to Dana White’s promotion in the future, but that teammate shared sad news, eradicating all those hopes.

Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya trained with Australian native Jarrett Wilbraham in the past. Reports claim that they trained at Freestyle Fighting Gym, where ‘Volk’ still trains as his primary base, and Lion’s Den Academy, where ‘The Last Stylebender’ used to be affiliated before. Wilbraham is reportedly 30 years old and was on the rise with an 8-3 record. He was well on his way to getting better and evolving as a fighter, but he revealed that due to certain medical issues, he has decided to hang up his gloves.

“After a decade in MMA, I’m officially retiring. It was my dream, my purpose, but also my struggle—in the end, I wasn’t truly happy,” Jarrett Wilbraham stated in an Instagram post. “Health issues forced me to step back from the sport, and in that time, I found rock climbing and a new way of living my life with my happiness as priority.”

Jarrett Wilbraham began facing health concerns last year, including a tumor on his neck, which, fortunately, turned out benign. Though he continued to compete afterward, lingering issues ultimately led him to step away from the sport.

Israel Adesanya showed full support to Jarrett Wilbraham, as he liked his Instagram post. Meanwhile, Volkanovski decided to share a small message of inspiration. “Incredible fighter, incredible entertainer, incredible career, but most important…incredible human being,” he commented.

Meanwhile, the two aforementioned UFC stars weren’t the only ones who extended their support to Jarrett Wilbraham. Many other fighters, especially from the regional circuit, shared their messages with the retired fighter as well. Well, for some, retiring suddenly and ending their careers abruptly would have been something negative, but not for ‘Izzy’ and ‘Volk’s friend, who is in great spirits.

Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya’s friend is ‘happy’ despite early retirement

Jarrett Wilbraham is a man who loves adventure, as his love for rock climbing is pretty evident in his social media handles. MMA was the same thing for him, an adventure. He was passionate about it, and still is, as he claims that he thought it was his purpose: to be an MMA fighter. But in the wake of his retirement news, Volkanovski and Adesanya’s friend seems ready to create a new purpose for himself and is “happy” to find out what the future has in store for him.

“I used to think that having a purpose was something that just fell into my lap, but I’ve learned it’s something I have the ability to seek out and create, and I’m living that purpose every day, away from MMA,” Jarrett Wilbraham added. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life, and this sport was one hell of an adventure—I’m just happy I’m getting out while still half intact.”

Well, it’s certainly sad to see Wilbraham retire so early. He had a chance to appear on The Ultimate Fighter in 2024, but his medical issues prevented him from doing so. Nevertheless, what matters is that he’s healthy and motivated to start a new chapter in his life. It remains to be seen how that serves him in the future.