Alex White Praises UFC 215 Opponent Mitch Clarke After Retirement

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Alex White (12-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) praised his UFC 215 opponent Mitch Clarke (11-5 MMA, 2-5 UFC), who announced his retirement from the sport following the bout. White ended up winning with a second-round TKO. Here are highlights:

On Clarke retiring after their fight: “He knows what he’s doing. He’s a respectful guy – probably one of most respectful opponents I’ve went against. We tried to make the best out of our camps, so he knew what he was walking into.”

On his emotional state during the fight: “During a fight, you can’t feel compassion. So I just try to do my game. After the fight, I felt compassion for him.”

On struggling in the UFC before this win: “I lacked the fire under my butt. And just the past year, I rekindled it, and I kind of want to make a career out of it. I want to put everything I have into this.”