Marloes Coenen Retires From MMA

Things didn't go Marloes Coenen's way at Bellator 174.

The Dutch MMA pioneer dropped her Featherweight championship fight to Julia Budd via fourth round TKO stoppage. Coenen would retire from MMA after the fight, just ahead of her 36th birthday.

She holds wins over Liz Carmouche, Sarah Kaufman, Roxanne Modafferi, among others. Coenen first competed way back in 2000, where she'd win four fights in just under three weeks. 

In 2010, Coenen would move from featherweight to bantamweight and capture the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship. She's also known for her rivalry with Cris Cyborg, which resulted in title fight losses in both Strikeforce and Invicta.

Coenen has competed less frequently over the past several years, fighting only once per year since 2013. She'll leave the sport with a 23-8 record, and still widely considered a top women's featherweight fighter. 

Fightful would like to wish Coenen the best in retirement.