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Former Strikeforce middleweight champion and UFC veteran Cung Le announced his retirement from mixed martial arts on Tuesday. Le, 42, had not fought since suffering a TKO loss to Michael Bisping at a UFC Fight Night on Aug. 23 in Macau, China. Shortly after the bout, the UFC suspended Le nine months for testing positive for elevated levels of human growth hormone (hGH).  Le and his manager, Gary Ibarra, disputed the test results and planned to appeal when the UFC later attempted to extend Le's suspension to 12 months. In October, the UFC rescinded the suspension altogether, after its testing procedures during the international event came under question. On Tuesday, Le (9-3), who is still under contract with the UFC, formally declared he would not compete in MMA again. "After several months of thought and discussion with my wife and family, we realize our future includes many things," Le said in a prepared statement. "But active competition in mixed martial arts is no longer one of them. Therefore, I am officially announcing my retirement from active competition. "Fighting will never be far from my heart and martial arts will always continue to be part of my daily life. I have thoroughly enjoyed the career that I have been blessed with due in large part to all my fans and the many people who helped me on my journey." A former professional kickboxer, Le made his pro MMA debut in March 2006. He won his first six bouts and captured the Strikeforce 185-pound title in a TKO victory against Frank Shamrock in March 2008. He made four total appearances for the UFC, compiling a 2-2 record. He suffered a TKO loss to Wanderlei Silva in his UFC debut in November 2011 before winning back-to-back fights against Patrick Cote and Rich Franklin. Said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, "Cung Le was a great ambassador of the sport for us in Asia and one of the most exciting middleweights to step foot in the Octagon. We wish him well in his retirement and future endeavors." "Cung Le was awesome and would take any fight," UFC President Dana White added. "He was such a huge piece of the success of The Ultimate Fighter China. I loved working with him and wish him well in the future." Fighting out of San Jose, Le has been critical of the UFC since the situation in Macau and has publicly said he requested to be released from the promotion after the suspension was rescinded. In December, Le was one of three named plaintiffs in an anti-trust lawsuit filed against the Zuffa, parent company of the UFC, in California. In addition to family, his representatives, coaches and fans, Le specifically thanked former Strikeforce CEO and current Bellator MMA president Scott Coker in his statement. He also "recognized" the UFC, "for the opportunity they provided me."
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