Jonathan Brookins Just Doesn’t Want It Anymore; Ponders Retirement

“It’s not hard to make a career in the UFC. If you really want it, you can make it happen. I think I just talked myself of really wanting it. I don’t know if I talked myself out of it or if I really don’t want it anymore. That made it tough to keep going and to fight last weekend. I didn’t really have much fight left in me. I kind of hit a dead end.

I definitely had my mind on other things I wanted to do and pursue. I just stopped believing in the fight business and stopped believing in what it was I was even doing. I just didn’t quite understand. There wasn’t much that I wanted about that (Poirier) fight…This quest to be a fighter has gotten to be frivolous, to be the wrong pursuit. I know it can be pursued the right way, but I know I’m not anywhere close to it. I’m not really down to live this temporary, right-now way of life…

Before the fight I came in a little bit overweight. Mostly because I was bounding around a lot – living in Oregon then New York then Montreal. But everything was real sporadic. So I was cutting weight, and I went to a bikram yoga class, something I do all the time. This was Wednesday, and the weigh-in was Friday. I started to get real dizzy after running that morning and sitting in a salt bath and then the yoga class. I got dizzy like I was going to pass out. By the end of the class, I was cramping up. My feet were cramping. By the end of the class I think I hit severe dehydration. My legs cramped up really bad. I couldn’t move. I was exhausted, like I was going to die. My neck, back, and chest all cramped up. I felt tired and weak. I started throwing up all night and was real sick.

I thought about quitting the fight. I was dehydrated, but I still had six or seven pounds to lose. Everything was all off. So I was asking myself, “What do you really want out of this experience?” And all I could think about was going to India. You already know you ****** your body up; there’s no way you’re going to recover fully in just a couple of days. Why would I go ahead with the fight instead of asking to reschedule? Then I thought about going to India in January. That was loud and clear.

At the weigh-ins, I could see myself on the Jumbotron. I was like, “**** man, you look kind of pathetic. You don’t look like you’re ready to fight; you look skinny.” The kid (Poirier) walks up to me after the weigh-ins and gets in my face and says, “I want it more than you.” All tough guy: “I want it more than you, bro.” I was like, “What the ****? How does this kid know he wanted it more than me?” It was an interesting thing to say but it was really true. It was the weirdest true ****-talking I’d ever heard in my life. Usually people just talk **** and you’ve got a rebuttal. That was the first time it really made me think.”

http://www.cagepotato.com/jonathan-brookins-just-doesnt-want-it-anymore-former-tuf-winner-ponders-retirement-after-poirier-fight/

you can read the whole thing. i just bold certain things

didnt think he was the quitting type

* Edited at 12.20.2012, 4:14 PM ET *

He makes albino's proud everywhere.

This is really sad to hear. I hope he figures his shot out weather it be in the UFC or not. Hard to believe he won tuf just a few years ago and might be retiring now.

This kid isnt right in the head, he always seemed to be kinda off. I think he needs to see a sports the******.

That's too bad.  I saw him as a upper tier gatekeeper @145. 

If he's serious about this MMA thing, he needs to put in work. The Poirier quote was brilliant, "I want it more than you".

I agree, was already a huge fan of Poirier and that made me like him even more!

Really? I thought it was cheesy. What I thought was brilliant was Brookins saying:

"What the ****? How does this kid know he wanted it more than me?” It was an interesting thing to say but it was really true. It was the weirdest true ****-talking I’d ever heard in my life. Usually people just talk **** and you’ve got a rebuttal. That was the first time it really made me think". 


That was interesting. Best wishes to Jonathan Brookins, he's an awesome human being.

Sounds like hes just burned out to me, take some time off and see if his fire for MMA is reignited.

All these guys trying so hard to cut those few extra pounds and get down one more weight class... is it really worth it?

Just fight at 155, Brookins.

Brookins needs to go to 155, he is a talented guy, am I a fan of his? Absolutely not, I don't even know why. But he is a talented dude and shouldn't retire, hell no. Go to 155 Brookins, you silly summ*****. 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing: if 145 is so taxing, just go back to 155.

i guess he really is going to India

Wow that makes me dislike Poirier...

Whatever Brookins decides I hope it's the right decision. He's a cool dude. 

well maybe he could go to another organization and compete for the belt.
i could see him getting a title anywhere that is not UFC and Bellator.

He can beat UFC talent, he just needs to take some time off and assess how he wants to approach his fight career. In his current state, he won't beat anyone. We saw Dan Hardy come back strong after some time off. Brookins should follow suit.

as a huge brookins fan this is sad news i hope he takes some time off and comes back better then ever maybe the cut is too much for him too like iit was for ross he said he hated goin to 145 he said he felt like he didnt have the same energy that he has at 155 and he showed us what he can do back at his natural weight i think brookins should do same just take time off and come back at lw id hate to see him go out on losses like that

Maybe he's just not made out to live the life of a fighter. Most people recognize the physical stress but forget about the mental toll it can take. I don't think the cutting of the weight is his problem. He sounds like someone that wants to do something else with his life.

He seems like a very intelligent person who woke up and said *** i am doing to myself, cutting weight is foolish and just a legal way to try your best and cheat. These dude cutting 20 plus pounds 3 times a year are doing bad damage to there body imo.

I'll be honest, I didn't really have any opinion on Brookins one way or another until I read that. His season of TUF was one that I missed and for one reason or another I've never paid much attention to the guy.
Now I've read that I can't help but like the guy and I really hope he can get his head straight and continue fighting. We all have self doubts at some point in our lives. But this guy is competing at the highest level in his chosen sport and he is too young and talented to walk away from the fight game.

While he's in India, he should become SFL champion.  From what I've seen he probably could.