8 UFC Fighters Whose Next Fight Should Be Their Last

There will always come a time for a fighter to retire.

Some go out the way that Chuck Liddell did, suffering multiple (brutal) losses in a row. Others go out the way that Nick Diaz did (maybe) and retire after they simply realize they don't want to do it anymore.

Then there's the fighters who get to go out on their own terms, and get to go out with a blaze of glory. Chris Lytle is a prime example.

There are several fighters who are entering the twilight of their careers, and may want to consider retirement after the end of their next fight.

Let's take a look at these eight UFC fighters.

Tito Ortiz

Kicking off the list is the former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.

Ortiz has already gone on record saying that his next fight—against Forrest Griffin at UFC 148—will be his final MMA fight, and let's hope he sticks to that word.

Nothing against Ortiz, but he has gone 1-6-1 in his last eight bouts, and he's choosing the right time to leave the sport—even if it is arguably a bit late.

Forrest Griffin

Up next is the other half of Tito Ortiz' retirement fight, and that's Forrest Griffin.

Griffin is a former light heavyweight champ, and another fighter who may want to consider hanging it up after his next fight.

Griffin still has a lot of fight left in him, with a record of 2-1 in his last three, but he doesn't look like he'll contend for a title any time soon.

His past two wins were a unanimous decision over Rich Franklin, and a split decision over Ortiz. His loss was a devastating knockout to Shogun Rua, which happened in under two minutes.

Quinton Jackson

It seems as though the light heavyweight division has several fighters who may want to consider retirement.

"Rampage" Jackson is another former champ, and has gone 2-3 in his last five fights. He is currently riding a two-fight losing streak, dropping a submission loss to the current champion, Jon Jones, and a unanimous decision loss to Ryan Bader.

Jackson also badly missed weight for his fight with Bader, coming in at 211 pounds.

He has stated that he wants to leave the UFC after completing the final fight on his contract, which is expected to be against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Outside of the UFC—and presumably Strikeforce—there wouldn't be a whole lot out there to challenge Rampage.

Sean Sherk

Yeah, that's right, Sean Sherk is still technically fighting.

Sherk was last seen in action at UFC 119—in September of 2010—where he defeated Evan Dunham via controversial split decision.

Since 2008, Sherk has gone 2-2, with losses to Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn, and wins over Dunham and Tyson Griffin.

With as long as Sherk has been out rehabbing injuries, if he ever comes back, he may want to consider calling it quits after his next fight.

Matt Hughes

Matt Hughes is another fighter who is not yet officially retired. Hughes considers himself "on the shelf," and, as mentioned, not retired.

In his last two fights, he suffered knockout losses to BJ Penn and Josh Koscheck, both in the first round.

Prior to that, he was riding a three-fight win streak, and looked like he may be able to make one last run at a title.

Now, with the two straight losses, Hughes is taking a break from the sport, and should he come back—perhaps against Dan Hardy—he could make it his sendoff.

Matt Serra

Yet another fighter who is not officially retired, the former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra.

Serra was last seen at UFC 119, where he dropped a unanimous decision victory to Chris Lytle in a rematch of their The Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale, which Serra won.

Serra is 1-3 in his last four. His losses are to Lytle, Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre, and his win was a first round "Knockout of the Night" over Frank Trigg.

Serra has stated that he has ballooned up to at least 200 pounds, and it remains to be seen if he'll ever be back in the Octagon.

Wanderlei Silva

Former Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva is another fighter who could soon be retiring from MMA.

He is coaching on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, and will face Vitor Belfort at UFC 147 in the coaches' fight.

However, in his last nine fights, he is 3-6, with four knockout losses. His wins have been knockouts over Keith Jardine and Cung Le, and the third was a decision win over Michael Bisping.

After the fight with Belfort, that could be the last time we see "The Axe Murderer" in the Octagon.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Finally, we have the former Pride and interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

"Minotauro" is 2-3 in his last five fights, and his three losses have been absolutely devastating. First, he was TKO'd by Frank Mir. Then he was knocked out by Cain Velasquez. And finally, he had his arm broken by a Frank Mir kimura.

While his two wins have been impressive—a decision over Randy Couture and a knockout over Brendan Schaub—it may not be enough for Nogueira to want to stick around.

At 35 years of age, currently rehabbing a broken humerus, and 42 MMA fights under his belt, No. 43 could be the end.

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow him on twitter @TimMcTiernan.