UFC releases a number of fighters

The UFC released a number of fighters before the New Year

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest promotion in the world of mixed martial arts. Roster spots are highly coveted by fighters across the world. That is why being cut from the promotion is a major hit that many athletes struggle to recover from.

The UFC closed out the year by releasing a number of fighters from the roster.

The most relevant name on this list of cuts includes 22-9 Fabio Maldonado. The Brazilian competitor went 0-2 in the Octagon this year but has an entire resume that includes a 5-6 tenure in the Zuffa brand. He is known for his penchant to take a large amount of damage from his opponent and still hanging on until the end. His 2012 loss to Glover Teixeira at UFC 153 is remembered as one of the most brutal beatdowns to occur within the Octagon.

Kevin Souza is perhaps the most perplexing name on the list. The Brazilian fighter is 15-4 which includes a 3-1 record in the UFC. He won two of his first three bouts by stoppage and was also enjoying a 10-fight win streak before falling to Chas Skelly at UFC Fight Night 77. Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting reported that Souza was not even informed of his release.

“USADA emailed me saying I don’t need to inform my whereabouts because I wasn’t listed as a UFC fighter anymore,” Souza said.

The entire list includes Maldonado, Souza, Chico Camus, Ericka Almeida, Bubba Bush, Mickael Lebout, Vernon Ramos and Jumabieke Tuerxun.