Many are asking why athletes are retiring. Some retire at the prime of their game while others because they see not future in their career.

But among the many MMA fighters, both Randy Couture and Royce Gracie had opened up their thoughts on their reason for retirement.

According to Couture "I know how hard that dream dies and letting go of that competitive spirit and moving on, having something else to move on to."

But retiring does not literally mean that they are quitting, many fighters return to fight inside the cage after retiring for a couple of years.

Couture said "It really boils down to what's beating in your chest and whether you still have a passion for. I know as a fighter it was a tough decision for me to come to terms with hanging it up. I did it once, came out, doing it a second time I wanted to make it the final, I was almost 48 years old when I finally retired."

In a recent event promoting Bellator 131 what appeared to be an impromptu convention of UFC Hall of Famers happened with five top fighters appeared, including Couture, Ortiz, Bonnar, Royce Gracie, and Ken Shamrock.

Gracie's decision to retire from fighting didn't just happen. He had been sidelined for many years and had several long gaps in his career.

He said "You never say its impossible. But no, I'm done. You've got to know when to stop in this business, because that's when you get hurt. You've got to know when to stop. The body doesn't recover, even though I still run quite a bit, still train quite a bit, the next day the body is sore and I have to take a day off."

But one intriguing answer among the hall of famers was from Shamrock who didn't considered himself retired.

He said "I can't say I'm retired because I'm not dead. That's the only day I'll call myself retired."

He adds "I'm 50 years old. I have more aches and pains than most people will ever know. Not just from fighting, but also from pro wrestling. Just because that's not a 'sport,' it's still, seven nights a week of a physical grind and it adds up fast. So to get me to go through a training camp again, to put my aches aside and go for one more fight, it would have to be the right offer at the right time with the right opponent."