Veteran welterweight Paulo Thiago has been cut from the UFC after a five-year run.
MMAFighting.com has confirmed the news, which was first reported Wednesday by Brazil’s Combate.
Thiago (15-8) got off to a memorable start in the UFC, when he scored a first-round knockout of Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 and was awarded a KO of the Night bonus.
He went on to win three of his first four UFC bouts, culminating in a D’Arce choke win over Mike Swick at UFC 109, which earned Thiago another postfight bonus.
But things turned south from there for the 33-year old Brazilian. Thiago dropped seven of his past nine fights, including his past three bouts. The most recent loss came on Sept. 13, when he dropped a decision to Sean Spencer in Thiago’s hometown of Brasilia.