Francis Carmont, a middleweight who became a UFC contender before dropping three straight contests, has been cut by the promotion.
That’s according to a post appearing Wednesday morning on Carmont‘s Facebook page. The news was subsequently reported by Bloody Elbow.
“I announce that after six wins and three defeats, I am no longer a UFC fighter,” he wrote in his post. “However it is with determination that I will continue my career in combat sports.”
The 32-year-old Carmont (22-10) became known for a successful, if not exactly fan-friendly, fighting style. Carmont relied on his talent and strength to grind out opponents against the fence and coast to decision wins.
No surprise to hear of Francis Carmont‘s UFC release. Three straight losses and the fact that Dana White was never a fan made it easy call.
— Rick LaFitte (@RickLaFitte) September 17, 2014
It’s the kind of style that UFC brass has time and again said it does not prefer. But as long as Carmont was winning, questions about his methods were moot.
He began his UFC career in October 2011 with a decision win over Chris Camozzi at UFC 137. He went on to rip off five more consecutive victories—two by submission, three by decision—over Magnus Cedenblad, Karlos Vemola, Tom Lawlor, Lorenz Larkin and Costas Philippou.
The win over Phillippou appeared to vault Carmont, a French Canadian who trains alongside Georges St-Pierre and other luminaries at Montreal’s famed Tristar gym, into the title picture.
At that point, however, Carmont began to struggle. He dropped a decision to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in February, a decision to C.B. Dollaway and suffered a knockout defeat at the hands of Thales Leites. All three losses happened in 2014.
In his Facebook post, Carmont seemed to acknowledge that his style did not exactly work in his favor.
“By looking for perfection on my technique, I slowly estranged myself from the combat by instinct,” he said. “Seeking to score points instead of finishing my opponent. My last loss pushes me to grow everyday. Life is a learning path and my career is far from finished.”
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