Seven fighters have been released from the UFC over the past three days as the promotion prepares for it’s annual Contender Series signing spree.
Tis the season … season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series, to be specific.
The UFC’s big pipeline show for building up hot prospects as they enter the promotion returns on August 13 for ten weeks. That gives five bouts worth of fighters per event a chance to win Dana White’s approval and a contract for the big show.
Last season, 46 contracts were given out. We expect that many if not more this season. And room on the roster has gotta come from somewhere, so expect a bloodbath over the next two weeks as UFC matchmakers pare down the current roster to make way for the new batch.
According to UFC Roster Tracker, seven fighters have been removed over the past three days, between the 29th and 31st of July:
- Emily Ducote
- Miguel Baeza
- Muhammad Mokaev
- Lucie Pudilova
- Josh Quinlan
- Sergey Morozov
- Mariya Agapova
Muhammad Mokaev is the highest profile fighter on the list, and he was very publicly told his services wouldn’t be needed following the completion of his previous UFC contract. As for why, exactly, the UFC didn’t appreciate him? We’re still looking for the smoking gun, but it comes down to UFC deciding he was difficult to work with despite his 7-0 record with the promotion.
We’re not particularly surprised to see Mariya Agapova on this latest list of cuts. Agapova didn’t do herself any favors when she complained matchmakers were financially ruining her with a lack of fights … when it was her visa situation that was preventing her from competing. Too many eyebrow raising headlines and a 2-4 record ended her time with UFC.
This won’t be the last of the cuts over the coming weeks. Inactive fighters and those with losing records or losing streaks may be biting their fingernails until we make it out the other side of Contender Series season 8 in mid-October.