UFC Quietly Releases Eight Fighters

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

While it’s not exactly a bloodletting like days past, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently tightened up its roster by releasing, or opting to not renew contracts on eight different fighters across four separate weight classes.

I understand that UFC is a business and not a charity, but saying goodbye to fan-favorite Ben Saunders after “Killa B” made such a triumphant comeback hit me right in the feels. Unfortunately, it’s hard to justify his retention after dropping four straight and six of seven.

Here’s the complete list, helpfully compiled by MMA Junkie:

Junior Albini, heavyweight, 14-6 MMA and 1-4 UFC
Nathan Coy, welterweight, 15-7 MMA and 1-2 UFC
Brandon Davis, bantamweight, 10-8 MMA and 2-5 UFC
Kalindra Faria, flyweight, 18-8-1 MMA and 0-3 UFC
Grigorii Popov, bantamweight, 13-3 MMA and 0-2 UFC
Ben Saunders, welterweight, 22-13-2 MMA and 10-10 UFC
Jin Soo Son, bantamweight, 9-4 MMA and 0-2 UFC
Daniel Spitz, heavyweight, 6-3 MMA and 1-3 UFC

As you can see by their UFC records, it’s understandable why most of the above fighters were given the boot, so to speak. The good news, evidenced by what Saunders has already done, is that talent can often fight their way back into the organization with a solid run on the regional or international circuit.

In addition, there are still plenty of competing promotions like Bellator MMA and ONE Championship, just to name a few, and according to Dana White, some of them are even paying more than UFC.

Now please “shut the f—k up” and let White run his business!