The world of mixed martial arts promises dreams of guts and glory, but it is a relentless roller coaster that sees the rise and fall of numerous legends. When fighters are riding the highs of the sport they sometimes fly too close to the sun and forget that they could fall just like Icarus from the Greek mythos. What happens when some of the most celebrated fighters either eye early retirement or get released prematurely? As UFC fans gear up for another blockbuster year, it’s not all fun and games for some fighters and their fans going into 2025.

Fighters get released for a myriad of different reasons. Some have poor performances inside the Octagon, while others get released for antics outside of it. Whatever the reason, being released from the premier MMA promotion of the world sets the precedent for existing fighters to perform better, or keep their bearings together when not in competition.

Colby Covington almost got released from the promotion for being a “boring fighter”, until he switched up his persona and became a brash, unapologetic personality within the fight world. Remember Paul Daley? Yes, the same Paul Daley who hit Josh Koscheck after the bell back in 2010 at UFC 113. The outcome? He was swiftly thrown out of the UFC. In that light, let’s take a look at some ranked fighters who Dana White released from the UFC in 2024.

Muhammad Mokaev

Let’s start by talking about Muhammad Mokaev. The Russian fighter based in England is the perfect example of “f**k around and find out” as he faced backlash after a foul against Manel Kape – a pretty sneaky move by the fighter. Even though he won the battle, he lost the war. Apparently, the boss declared that the matchmakers were not happy with his behavior, particularly behind the scenes, where he almost started a brawl with the Angolan-Portuguese fighter.

Just imagine Dana White, the multi-millionaire boss of the most famous combat sports promotion telling you, “I guess you can look back now and regret it, but you did it. You did it, and you put yourself in this position.” This is exactly what the Russian had to hear from the CEO after his last fight. Is UFC exit story is one for the books and the undefeated flyweight had a pretty nasty separation from the promotion.

The UFC President was asked about the same during the Dana White contend series in August. He said, “I wasn’t involved in any of the stuff that happened with him. The matchmakers and Hunter were and they weren’t happy with him. They weren’t happy with the way he acted. They weren’t happy with a lot of the things he did and said. I guess you can look back now and regret it, but you did it. You did it, and you put yourself in this position.”

From shenanigans outside and in the Octagon, to a fighter who was released purely based on his performance. Let’s take a look at a Brazilian fighter, a once-promising flyweight prospect, who was released because of a deteriorating UFC record.

Matheus Nicolau

Matheus Nicolau‘s removal certainly aggravated fans who were left in a whirlwind of confusion when the UFC head honcho decided to axe the Brazilian along with many other fighters like Tamires Vidal, Charalampos Grigoriou, and  Jesse Butler. So what was the outcry from the fans? Nicolau’s premature exit felt like a stab to the fans because they were not happy with the fact that the boss decided to let him go after three straight losses.

The Brazilian made his UFC debut in 2015 and was released from the promotion in 2019 with a 3-1 promotional record which led him to sign with Future FC and later Brave FC. However, he came back into the octagon in 2021 and won against Manel Kape. Even after that, he was let go after three straight losses and a post-return promotional record of 4-3. Next, let’s move on to a fighter, who wasn’t released for reasons of bad performances or bad behavior outside the Octagon.

Alexander Romanov

From flyweights, we move on to the heavyweight division, where Alexander Romanov was removed from the roster, 48 hours after winning his bout, mind you. The Moldovian fighter beat Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC Fight Night 246 via unanimous decision. Despite the win, he didn’t continue fighting for the world’s premier MMA promotion. Why, you ask? Well, simply because his contract expired, and he chose not to renew it.

UFC truly fulfills the dreams of many fighters but it is still a bittersweet experience because they never know when they might get released. On top of that, everything is time-bound with a contract. Maybe this is why they say to cherish every moment whether it’s a loss or a victory. But hold on because more fighters deserve an honorable mention.

Other releases from the UFC

The fans are definitely going to miss a lot of fighters who were released from the roster in 2024. They gave us some of the most blockbuster fights and were almost on the brink of success. Here’s to Bryan Barberena, Carlos Candelario, Josh Parisian, and Joanne Wood are no longer listed on the UFC’s active roster.

And who can forget the two-time heavyweight champion, the promotion’s greatest heavyweight, Stipe Miocic? Although he didn’t look in top shape in his last two fights, getting brutally finished by Francis Ngannou in 2021, and Jon Jones this last November at UFC 309, Miocic left a legacy only a few can replicate.

Other honorable mentions include Khabib’s brother Abubaker Nurmagomedov, Ovince St. Preux, Matt Brown, Gilbert Burns’ brother Herbert Burns, heavyweight legend Andrei Arlovski, and former strawweight champion Carla Esparza, to name a few among 93 releases from the company this year. Whether let go, or voluntary retirement, each fighter left a part of themselves inside the Octagon.

Releases are to be expected in a promotion as unforgiving and brutal as the UFC. What do you think about the fighters released this year? Do you agree with some of these names? Let us know in the comments down below.