Mollo was defeated via unanimous decision. Mollo then faced off against Krzysztof Zimnoch in a rematch from the year before. Mollo lost the rematch via corner stoppage. On March 1, 2017, Mollo officially announced his retirement from professional boxing. Early in his career, Mollo gained the support of Rocky Marciano’s family. "I understand that Mike wants to emulate Rocky both in and out of the ring", noted Peter Marciano, younger brother of the "Brockton Blockbuster". Mollo remembers Marciano well. "I grew up watching fight films of Rocky Marciano. Both of our families came from Naples, Italy, so Rocky was a hero to my family. My strength and conditioning coach Joe Wright gave me a rare book written by Rocky called 'The Use of the Body'. Joe found this book in 1967 while he was somewhere in England. I’ve been reading it and it’s a masterpiece." Mollo continued, "I can’t be Rocky, but I’m truly honored to have the support of the Marciano family. I hope to make them proud." Mollo is married with children and resides in the Chicago, Illinois area.