UFC releases Ben Rothwell; scheduled fight vs. Alexander Gustafsson canceled

One of the longest tenures on the UFC roster has come to an end.

UFC heavyweight staple Ben Rothwell (39-14 MMA, 9-8 UFC) has parted ways with the promotion after a tenure of 17 fights over the span of 13 years.

Promotion officials confirmed the news to MMA Fighting after algorithm-based Twitter account UFC Roster Watch tweeted Thursday that Rothwell was removed from the online rankings pool.

Rothwell, 40, was scheduled to fight on May 21 against former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson. The bout has been canceled. It is not clear at this time if Gustafsson will remain on the card against a different opponent.

In recent years, Rothwell has experienced ups and downs in terms of results. Prior to his UFC exit, he lost two of three – but also won three of five. Notable wins during his stint with the promotion include Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, Matt Mitrione, Ovince Saint Preux, and Brendan Schaub.

His most recent fight took place in November against Marcos Rogerio de Lima, when he suffered the second TKO defeat of his career – a 32-second loss that ended standing.