Curtis Millender, Andre Soukhamthath among 13 fighters released by UFC

As 2019 winds down, the UFC has been trimming its roster. More than a dozen fighters have been released from their contracts in recent weeks, MMA Junkie has learned.

The following fighters have been cut. Each fighter listed has announced the release, or a member of his or her team has informed MMA Junkie of the news. The order in which they appear is alphabetical, not chronological.

Danilo Belluardo | Lightweight (12-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)

Italy’s Danilo Belluardo was released from his contract following back-to-back losses in the UFC. In his promotional debut, Belluardo lost to Spain’s Joel Alvarez by second-round stoppage due to ground-and-pound. For his second appearance, Belluardo walked into enemy territory in Copenhagen to take on hometown hero Mark O. Madsen. The former Olympic medalist Madsen finished Belluardo by strikes in 72 seconds.

Manny Bermudez | Featherweight (14-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC)

Once considered one of the best bantamweight prospects on the U.S. regional scene, Manny Bermudez’s weight struggles became a problem. He kicked off his UFC career at 3-0. But after missing weight at 135 pounds, Bermudez lost to Casey Kenney. He followed up the mishap with another. He moved up to featherweight, yet missed weight again for UFC on ESPN 6 in Boston in October. Against Charles Rosa, Bermudez was submitted in the first round.

Henry Briones | Bantamweight (16-8-1 MMA, 1-4 UFC)

A five-fight UFC veteran, Mexico’s Henry Briones was known for his do-or-die style and willingness to strike. A member of the UFC roster since 2014, Briones picked up his lone victory with the promotion in his debut when he choked out Guido Cannetti. Four straight losses to Cody Garbrandt, Douglas Silva d’Andrade, Rob Font, and Frankie Saenz earned him his UFC pink slip. (First reported by The Athletic)

Thomas Gifford | Lightweight (17-9 MMA, 0-2 UFC)

Florida’s Thomas Gifford was a member of the UFC roster only since April, but two losses were enough for the UFC to redirect his trajectory. After he lost a three-round unanimous decision to Roosevelt Roberts in his April debut, Gifford was brutally knocked out by Mike Davis in October.

Nohelin Hernandez | Bantamweight (9-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC)

A former competitor in LFA, Noehlin Hernandez made his UFC debut on short notice in July at UFC 239. Taking on a tough test in Marlon Vera, California’s Hernandez proved he was a gamer. In his sophomore UFC outing in September, Hernandez was submitted by highly touted debutant Jack Shore. Two losses in two-and-a-half months was all the UFC needed to see.

More Fighter cuts on the next page: