Career over? Buchinger realizes he doesn’t have to look in the cage anymore, says he’s slowly looking for a job

Ivan Buchinger was at his peak at the end of 2021, but now his situation is different. The Octagon championship belt no longer belongs to him, and due to injuries it is possible that we will not see him in the cage again. In his last interview he admitted that he is even looking for a job.

Instead of Ivan Buchinger’s illustrious career gaining even more momentum, his star is plummeting.

As of November 2021, he still held titles in two weight classes in the Octagon, and was even seeking a third. His fight with David Kozma was coming up, it was even officially announced. However, due to an injury, it didn’t happen.

To make matters worse, he lost one of his titles in June 2022 when he was stopped in the first round by Losene Keita. He injured his shoulder in the fight, plus he had a torn ligament in his knee. So he had to take a break.

Back in December, it was announced that the Slovak legend would be back in the cage in April 2023, when Buchinger was to be one of the biggest stars of the OKTAGON 42 tournament in Bratislava.

But right at the beginning of January, the organization announced that Buchinger had undergone shoulder surgery and would therefore not fight in Bratislava.

“I don’t even know exactly what I want. I can’t say anything yet, because until I get myself together, I don’t know what I can afford to do in training, how I can pair up and how I’ll feel after these injuries,” he said in the current Max MMA podcast.

That’s also why there’s been talk of a possible end to his career, which he’s outlined in the past. The Slovakian is counting on it in the worst case scenario, but would like to continue his MMA career.

“I hope not, but the risk is definitely there, because if my shoulder or knee is not good, I can’t continue in this sport. But if everything is good, I definitely want to make myself more visible with those belts,” he added.

Since he doesn’t wrestle, he doesn’t exactly sleep soundly through his family’s income. If this situation continues for any length of time, he will have to respond. “It’s tough right now. I am already slowly looking for a job,” he concluded.

Source: Max MMA