No other sport mirrors the kill-or-be-killed world of nature like mixed martial arts. Although inside the Octagon, it’s more like cut or be cut.
With new talent flooding the UFC in the wake of the Strikeforce and WEC purchases (and with the UFC’s general ability to cherry-pick top prospects from promotions it doesn’t own), it makes sense that you’d have to thin the herd with some regularity. In addition, given the toll the sport can take, retirements are another part of the equation. And once in a while, fighters are even compelled to leave the promotion for other reasons entirely.
Here are 15 fighters who may be poised to retire, leave or receive their walking papers from the UFC.