Uchiyama is not alone, as former super featherweight champ Takashi Miura has also made a decision to walk away from boxing.
The 33-year-old announced his retirement in a Twitter post late Friday night.
“After I pondered (the decision), I decided to retire. I don’t have regrets. As I was able to achieve my boyhood dream and get in the ring in America, which I had never imagined I would, I had the best possible boxing career. Thank you,” the Akita Prefecture native, who had a career 31-4-2 record (24 KOs), wrote.
Miura, who lost his WBC super featherweight title to Francisco Vargas in November 2015, attempted to regain the belt against champion Miguel Berchelt at the Forum in Inglewood, California, on July 15, but lost in a unanimous decision.
The southpaw boxer, who was dubbed “Bomber Left” for his powerful signature blow, tweeted after the Berchelt bout that he thinks he took the “first complete loss” in his career.
Miura, a Teiken Gym fighter, challenged Uchiyama for the WBC super featherweight title in 2011, but lost by TKO.
In April 2013, Miura captured the WBC super featherweight belt against champion Gamaliel Diaz and defended it four times.