Hailey Cowan has announced her retirement from MMA following a fourth consecutive defeat inside the UFC, this one a body-shot stoppage loss to Nina Nikolija Milosevic on the UFC Belgrade prelims. The 34-year-old, a former LFA and Invicta FC standout who entered the promotion in 2022 off a Contender Series appearance, finishes her career with a 7-6 overall record. Cowan said she had been sensing she was approaching the end of her career in recent months and expressed gratitude to the UFC and her supporters despite the outcome not matching her ambitions.
Hailey Cowan has announced her retirement from mixed martial arts following a body-shot stoppage loss to Nina "Queen Beast" Milosevic on the preliminary card of UFC Belgrade, closing out a run inside the promotion that produced four consecutive defeats.
Cowan, nicknamed "All Hail," finishes her career with a 7-6 overall record. The 34-year-old American, who trains out of Blitz MMA, entered the UFC in 2022 after a Contender Series appearance and arrived with a résumé that included notable stints in both LFA and Invicta FC. Fighting out of a southpaw stance at five-foot-eight with a 67-inch reach, Cowan averaged 2.66 significant strikes landed per minute during her career with a striking accuracy of 43 percent, and also showed threat on the mat with nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes. She indicated she had sensed in recent months that the end of her career was drawing near, and she expressed gratitude toward the UFC organization and her supporters despite the results falling short of her goals.
The fighter who delivered that final defeat, Milosevic, improved to 9-1 with the victory. The 29-year-old Serbian, who competes out of MMA Family Fight Team, secured the finish via body shot and now owns one of the more impressive records in her division heading into her next assignment.
Why it matters
- Cowan's exit brings an end to a career that spanned two of the sport's most prominent regional promotions before reaching the UFC
- Going 0-4 inside the promotion, she was unable to translate her regional success to the biggest stage in MMA
- Milosevic's stoppage win at 9-1 positions the Serbian contender as an increasingly dangerous name in the women's division
- The retirement reflects the thin margin between regional standout and UFC viability, a dynamic that shapes roster decisions across the sport
