Three veteran fighters on difficult losing streaks have been bumped from the UFC. The promotion announced over Twitter that they are parting ways with George Sotiropoulos, Rosi Sexton and Alessio Sakara.
Sotiropoulos, Sexton and Sakara have been released from the UFC. http://t.co/ZRBO8wAXof pic.twitter.com/mGzo7K5lcm
— UFC Tonight (@UFCTonight) December 19, 2013
George Sotiropoulos is an alumnus of The Ultimate Fighter season 6, and previously coached The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. The Australian absolutely roared into the UFC, going on a seven-fight winning streak that included five finishes, two fight of the night bonuses and bragging rights over the likes of Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino and Joe Lauzon. The good times ended abruptly, however, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Dennis Siver, and he followed that up with three more losses, earning him a pink slip.
Rosi Sexton’s release comes as something of a surprise. In a time where the UFC is actively seeking both women and British fighters, Sexton should have been a valuable commodity. Back-to-back ugly losses, which included a wheeze-fest against Alexis Davis and one of 2013’s most lopsided beatdowns at the hand of Jessica Andrade, stamped her ticket back to the European MMA scene.
Alessio Sakara was actually one of the most enduring fighters in the UFC, debuting all the way back at UFC 55 in 2005. Wins, however, were always rare for the Italian, as he amassed a 3-3 (1) record as a light heavyweight during his first three years with the promotion. He dropped down to middleweight in 2008, and while things initially looked good following a 3-1 stretch, reality would set back in as he dropped four straight fights (his last win actually came in 2010 against James Irvin).
Whether or not this is the end of this round of cuts remains to be seen. Stick with Bleacher Report to find out!
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