Maggie Grindatti Lira has chosen the 2023 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship as the stage to announce her retirement from the world of professional grappling.
Despite her relatively young age (31) and recent competitive successes, including a bronze at the IBJJF No-Gi Pan Championship and winning the title of the inaugural Enyo under 70kg champion earlier this year, Lira has decided to step away from competition.
She shared the news via social media:
THE • LAST • DANCE
We always see those dropping the belt and choosing to step away, I now understand the release and the significance. It might be only a piece of fabric but as athletes it’s our amour and without it we can no longer fight. As an athlete we surrender our armor to the sport that has given us so much as a thank you. We leave behind all the hours on the mat training, the days we didn’t want to continue, the moments we questioned believing in ourselves, the cliche blood, sweat and tears and the very piece of fabric, that makes us feel like super hero’s when we step out onto that mat. Whether it’s a belt or a ranked rash guard, without that piece of fabric there would be no journey and the only way to walk away, is to leave it behind, in the place that we came to earn it in the first place.
These mats, the yellow and blue. This is where my career started and 10 years later it comes to an end. The amount of time, sweat, tears, smiles and everything in between that I have left on these mats, that I have given to these mats and this sport I will carry with me daily. Many people have and will still step out on these mats but my prints, my efforts will never be matched in a sense my journey, my blueprint is my own and no one will ever be able to take that away from me.
To the community, there is no better in the world. And I am honored to be apart of it and am honored to have had you all in my corner over all these years.
I look forward to leave my blueprint in other ways now in our sport and I am excited to continue to share my why with you all and relive this beautiful journey together again through memories.
Grindatti retired by removing her rashguard and leaving it on the mat, which could be the No Gi BJJ version of leaving your belt on the mat (BJJ), or leaving gloves in the cage (MMA):
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