James DeGale breaks down as he discusses retiring from boxing

Former IBF super-middleweight champion James DeGale opened up about his previous early retirement and stated that he expects 2027 to be his final year as an active fighter. Speaking on Tony Bellew's podcast Fight Your Corner, the 40-year-old Olympic gold medalist emotionally explained how chronic inflammation severely affected his body and hastened his departure from boxing following his 2019 defeat to Chris Eubank Jr.

DeGale recently returned from a seven-year hiatus to defeat Matt Floyd in a bare-knuckle boxing bout. Despite dealing with inflammation during that contest, DeGale stated he is now healthy, happy, and seeking a couple more fights before permanently retiring at the end of next year.