Did he mean it? Danny Sabatello walks back retirement talk after blasting judges at 2024 PFL Playoffs 2

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Danny Sabatello was so aghast by the result of his fight with Lazaro Dayron that he thought about retiring, if only briefly.

Sabatello and Dayron fought to a majority majority draw Friday at 2024 PFL Playoffs 2, which marked the bantamweight division’s debut in the promotion. One judge awarded the fight to Sabatello 29-27, with two judges scoring it 28-28. In what was a closely contested fight, the scores were impacted by a one-point deduction for Dayron after he grabbed the fence in Round 3.

Sabatello (14-4-1) expressed disbelief immediately afterward.

“I don’t see any scenario how he would’ve won that fight given they took the point away,” Sabatello told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during his post-fight news conference. “… I always feel like if it’s a loss I’m blaming the judges, but I somehow always end up with these fights of what the f*ck.”

The judges’ scores were so discouraging to Sabatello that the former Bellator title challenger cast doubt about his fighting future.

“I don’t know if I’m ever gonna fight again,” Sabatello said. “I do this sh*t to be the best. If that’s my last fight, so be it.”

When asked to clarify if he planned to retire, Sabatello responded, “Yeah, maybe. I don’t know. These are losses that change your whole mindset, change your whole career. This should’ve been a win in my book. I don’t f*cking do shit to not be the best. I’m not here to get yanked around by some f*cking judges. … In my mind right now, I’m done.”

The sentiment, however, apparently didn’t last long – that is, if it was even authentic to begin with.

On Saturday, Sabatello posted on X “I’m not retired u f*ckin idiots.”

And so we haven’t seen the last of Sabatello in the cage.

After going on a seven-fight winning streak, Sabatello has hit a rough patch in his career. Since December 2022, he’s lost three of his past five bouts against Magomed Magomedov and Raufeon Stots twice.