TUF alum James McSweeney: Facebook post got me cut from ONE Championship

James McSweeney just wanted a fight. And said so on his personal Facebook page.

His promoters at ONE Championship apparently didn’t like that too much, McSweeney said. The Ultimate Fighter 10 alum told MMAFighting.com that ONE released him this week because of what he wrote on social media. McSweeney said he was informed via email.

“What upset me is the childishness of it and the way it was done,” McSweeney said. “For two years, I gave them my career. I fought three times. I gave my heart in my fights and won by big knockouts. I did a lot of social media for them and appearances and then just to do that is unprofessional.”

McSweeney (14-12) won two of three fights for ONE, both highlight-reel knockouts. However, he was coming off a third-round TKO loss to Roger Gracie last December. McSweeney, 34, was hoping to be booked to fight again earlier this year, but it didn’t happen.

Last Thursday, McSweeney aired his grievances on Facebook.

“Constantly in shape constantly ready but nothing, I am a fighter a real fighter that needs to fight!!!” he wrote. “Not one that says he is and happy to sit around, I haven’t come this far in my life and in my career to waste it in the end!!!! Things need to change.”

A few days later, McSweeney said he got an email from ONE telling him he was cut with the Facebook post as the reason.

ONE CEO Victor Cui could not be reached by MMAFighting.com for comment.

McSweeney, an England native who trains in Thailand, said he is currently in talks with multiple organizations and a “weight is off” his mind with the release. He’s not happy with how things went down, though.

“After two years of frustration, I finally put my first and only sign of frustration on Facebook,” McSweeney said. “I just said guys are asking me every day when I’m fighting and I really have no idea. I keep asking, but nothing. I said I haven’t come this far in my career to sit on the sidelines, something has to change. I did not mention ONE FC at all or name anyone.”

On TUF in 2009, McSweeney made the semifinals, beating Wes Shivers and Matt Mitrione, before falling to eventual champion Roy Nelson by TKO. After the show, he went with his TUF coach Rashad Evans to Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA in Albuquerque and then Grudge Training Center in Colorado.

McSweeney went 1-2 in the UFC, falling by TKO to Travis Browne and Fabio Maldonado by TKO. His lone UFC win came at the TUF 10 Finale against Darrill Schoonover, a first-round TKO. McSweeney, an accomplished Muay Thai fighter, has compiled a 10-4 record since being cut from the organization.