Jorge Linares believes he has fought his last professional boxing match.

The 38-year-old veteran from Venezuela came up short in his latest fight, a 12-round junior welterweight bout, last Saturday night against Jack Catterall at Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.

The southpaw Catterall won by unanimous decision on scorecards that read 117-111, 116-112, 116-112.  

After the fight, Linares indicated that he does not plan to glove up again, effectively ending a more than two-decade career in the pro ranks. Linares explained that although he lost, he nevertheless felt satisfied with his performance against Catterall.

“This is the last fight,” Linares told Boxing News. “I tell to my team, I tell to my wife, to my family, if I lose this fight, I want to retire.

“And I lose in a good way. That’s why I’m super happy. I told my team, 'You know what, we made a beautiful fight, to finish by decision like this, this is more important—that’s victory for me.'”

On Monday, Linares endorsed a fan’s Instagram post celebrating his retirement by reposting it on his official Instagram page. The copy on the post read “Future Hall of Famer Jorge Linares Retires Aged 38.” (The post has since been removed.)

Linares indicated in the Boxing News interview that he hopes to help his coach, Ismael Salas, instruct up-and-coming boxers.

“The thing is I want to try and work with Salas in the gym,” Linares said. “Not like boxer, but coach or something. Let’s see.”

The loss to Catterall was Linares’ fourth in a row.

Known for his quick hands and aesthetically pleasing combinations, Linares generally came up short in his most important fights, including, most recently, title shots against Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko.

After a successful amateur stint, Linares began his professional career as a featherweight in 2002.

Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.