Irish MMA fighter Cathal Pendred has made the shock decision to retire from Mixed Martial Arts with immediate effect.

Pendred announced on twitter that his passion for MMA is "no longer what it was" and he "wants to pursue other interests".

"The time is right to close one door and open another" he added.  

The move will come as a massive shock to fans as although Pendred suffered defeat in his last event, there was no indication that he was preparing retire. He intends however to "maintain my involvement in the sport" but will no longer compete.

It will be interesting to see what's next for Pendred and fans will certainly be keeping a close watch.