When UFC mainstay Jon Fitch was unceremoniously released from the company last Wednesday, it was an immediate wake-up call to every single fighter on the roster.
With a 14-3-1 record inside the Octagon, Fitch has been a world-ranked welterweight for more than five years. If he can be released only one fight after reinventing himself in a Fight of the Night performance at UFC 153, no fighter is safe.
Fitch wasn’t the only one released. UFC standouts Vladimir Matyushenko, Terry Etim and Jacob Volkmann also highlighted the 16-man list of newly released fighters.
Last week, UFC president Dana White made the announcement that this was only the tip of the iceberg and that 100 more fighters are also on their way out of the organization.
There’s 100 more guys that are gonna go. It’s not over. We have 475 guys under contract. We have over 100 guys too many. We have over 100 guys too many on the roster right now. What’s going to happen is, if you lose, the blood has not all been spilled yet. There’s more coming.
With that startling news in mind, here is a look at 50 fighters who are likely to be released for various reasons.