UFC roster update: Ben Saunders, Brandon Davis among eight fighters released

As the first quarter of 2020 progresses, the UFC has trimmed its roster. At least eight fighters have been released from their contracts or not re-signed, MMA Junkie has learned.

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.

The exact time frames and terms of the releases (i.e. end of contract vs. severance) were not disclosed to MMA Junkie.

Junior Albini | Heavyweight (14-6 MMA, 1-4 UFC)

Nicknamed “Baby,” Junior Albini made quite the impression in his UFC debut in July 2016. Fresh off the Brazilian regional scene, Albini was an unknown to most North American viewers. In his promotional debut, it only took the big man 135 seconds to dismantle Timothy Johnson. His win in his UFC debut would be his last, however. Albini dropped four straight fights to Andrei Arlovski, Aleksei Oleinik, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Maurice Greene. He was subsequently cut from the promotion and has since signed with Serbian promotion SBC.

Nathan Coy | Welterweight (15-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC)

It took Nathan Coy 24 professional fights and a stint on season 21 of The Ultimate Fighter to earn a crack at UFC notoriety. Debuting as a pro fighter in 2007, Coy’s road to the UFC wasn’t the quickest or easiest. He competed practically everywhere, from Strikeforce to Bellator to a plethora of regional promotions. After serving as one of the leaders of Team ATT on TUF 21, Coy made his UFC debut at the TUF 21 Finale. He lost to Danny Roberts that night. He picked up his elusive first UFC victory against Jonavin Webb in June 2016. Coy appeared once more in April 2017 and was submitted by Zak Cummings. After the loss, Coy walked away from MMA to pursue other endeavors – but he elected never to make a public announcement.

More roster updates on the next page:

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