Tom Duquesnoy says he still believes he has the level to compete in MMA but explains he walked away at 25 because the inner drive to fight is no longer there.
Duquesnoy’s final bout was a win over Terrion Ware at UFC Fight Night 127 in March 2018. He later withdrew from a scheduled UFC 228 matchup with Nathaniel Wood due to a rib injury before ultimately retiring with a 16-2 record, including a 2-1 run in the UFC.
"Yes, especially when I see the level, little by little – but I still have the level," Duquesnoy said, before clarifying why that isn’t enough. "The body must be in shape, and for that I would need a few months to be perfectly in shape. The level is still there, but the profound need to do it is not there anymore because in MMA, you must be profoundly in need in order to perform."
He linked his early success to internal struggle, saying, "I know the fact that I performed at a very high level, a very specific young age, it was linked to the fact that I wasn't understanding the divorce of my parents," and added, "When you discover there is nothing and no one to fight, usually the fighter stops their career and evolves into different aspects. For me, it was the artistic. It was more expressing myself in a different way than fighting against someone."
Now 32, the former BAMMA bantamweight and featherweight champion, who trained at Jackson Wink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., coaches rising talent in France and focuses on yoga and acting.
