Deron Winn has been released from the UFC roster, and the timing is not lost on him.
Just days after Winn (7-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) was forced to withdraw from a scheduled matchup with Julian Marquez at UFC Fight Night 216 due to fainting and falling down a set of stairs at the UFC Performance Institute, the promotion has opted to part ways with the middleweight.
With three defeats in his past four bouts, Winn acknowledged after his fight was canceled that he was “skating on thin ice” with the organization and didn’t know what the future held. He knows now after being notified of his release, and Winn said it was a cut-throat move to happen in the midst of the holiday season (via Twitter):
Being released after a freak accident on their property the week before Christmas. Man “it’s business not personal” has never been more real
Being released after a freak accident on their property the week before Christmas. Man “it’s business not personal” has never been more real https://t.co/386BPSsgVj
— Deron Winn (@DeronWinn) December 22, 2022
Winn then posted a video explaining how the situation unfolded (via Instagram)
Tuesday I got a phone call from Hunter Campbell and the UFC and I guess we decided to part ways. He just explained some things to me about my resume and my career that adds up, but I also said a few things to try to defend myself and I just feel like this wasn’t the reason to let me go. I think that they’ve had reasons in the past to let me go, but I just wished that I could’ve went out on my shield. I would’ve rathe went out on a loss or even a boring win. Just such an accidental freak accident situation that happened to me at the UFC PI. They have it on camera. Their employees are the ones that took care of me, they withdrew me from the fight.
It’s kinda sh*tty. I feel sh*tty about it. I just wish it would’ve happened a different way. But that being said, UFC will never define me or who I am as a person and a man. I do believe it’s a highlight of my life and something that I did and just another dream that I accomplished. But in reality, UFC was never my childhood dream. It was more wrestling and trying to make the Olympic team and stuff like that.
I don’t think I’m done. I’m going to sit down with (Daniel Cormier) and others and see what my options are going forward in this free agency time. I’m definitely willing to fight in the future.
Winn, 33, most recently competed at UFC on ESPN 37 in June, when he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Phil Hawes. The American Kickboxing Academy product is a good friend and pupil of UFC Hall of Famer Cormier.