January 2021 has seen a dramatic change in the UFC’s roster with more than 10 cuts happening throughout the month.
After teasing the changes in December, the cuts appear to have taken place, and among the fighters are some familiar names. All these reports came from MMA Junkie and MMA Fighting since the beginning of 2021.
The most well-known is likely Antonio Carlos Junior. The former Ultimate Fighter Brazil winner had entered the UFC putting together a string of victories in the middleweight division among few losses, before recently facing a three-fight skid losing to the likes of Uriah Hall and Brad Tavares taking his overall UFC record to 7-5.
Also on the list were a range of UFC newcomers entering the UFC with back-to-back losses. These included Carlton Minus, Peter Barrett, Anthony Ivy, Jacob Kilburn, Vinicius Moreira, Cole Williams, and Rhys McKee.
McKee famously entered the UFC on short notice to face highly touted prospect Khamzat Chimaev. This bout didn’t go his way, however, resulting in him being finished inside the first round. Following this McKee put on a good showing in his subsequent appearance facing Alex Morono but was defeated via Unanimous Decision.
Other fighters that have since been released include Spike Carlyle, Sarah Moras, and Vanessa Melo.
After a record-setting run on Dana White’s contender series where more contracts were handed out than ever before, UFC President Dana White shared that the company would be making some cuts soon and that these would include some surprising names.
The first names to face the cut following the announcement included stars such Yoel Romero and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Both these names came as surprise, while Romero had been on a streak of back to back losses he had recently been booked to face Uriah Hall earlier in the year. Johnson had also shared his plans to make a return to the cage. Ultimately, both the fighters have signed new contracts with Bellator MMA to continue their fighting careers.