As the UFC wraps up 2024 on a high note, with plenty of great moments for many fighters, things haven’t been as positive for some fighters who have been cut by the promotion. Who are the fighters, you may ask? Well, stay tuned as we are back with another segment of the MMA roundup, where we will cusp the latest updates from the last 24 hours in bite-sized pieces.

From Dana White firing fighters, we will move on to a sad update from a former fighter as he retires from the sport. Then, we will jump to Paddy Pimblett, who has a preference for Khamzat Chimaev over Islam Makhachev and finally, we will conclude our segment with a piece of information about Alice Pereira’s birthday gift from the UFC. So without further ado, let’s get right into it.

UFC drops a number of fighters from its roster

Holiday seasons are supposed to bring a lot of joy and cheer, but that isn’t the case for some UFC fighters, with Dana White and the UFC making final adjustments to its roster before moving into 2025. The promotion has decided to part ways with several fighters, and some of the notable names include Jared Gooden, Abu Azaitar, Gabriel Benitez, Jack Shore, Stipe Miocic, and Damon Jackson. Shore, Miocic, and Jackson retired from the sport themselves, while Benitez’s recent struggle within the Octagon routed him out of the promotion. The fighter lost three of his last four fights and has missed weights twice.

Interestingly enough, Miocic and Jackson had fought at the UFC 309, both losing to legends. Stipe Miocic was knocked out by Jon Jones which prompted his retirement while Jackson was submitted by Jim Miller, which marked Jackson’s fourth loss in his last five fights, capping off a challenging career stretch. It’ll be interesting to see how the fighters who didn’t voluntarily leave the organization move forward in their post-UFC careers. Regardless, let us move on forward to another fighter, who might have to take retirement due to injuries. From fighters retiring or being cut, let’s take a look at a particular fighter who left the sport due to health concerns.

Ian Heinisch suffered consistent headaches as an active fighter

With seven fights under his promotional career, UFC middleweight Ian Heinisch appears to have turned his temporary break from the sport to a full-fledged retirement, keeping his health concerns in mind. After his last clash against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC on ESPN 27, where he was finished via TKO due to a knee strike and punches, Heinisch took a break from fighting because he was suffering from continuous trauma. ‘The Hurrican’ emphasized that he initially wanted to step away from the Octagon for a short period but constant headaches forced him to take retirement.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, Heinisch emphasized that he doesn’t have the motivation to continue fighting right now, “I couldn’t go to the gym. I didn’t feel like myself. I had headaches all the time. I had confusion. One time, I was driving in my car and I forgot where I was at. That was when I was like, ‘OK, my only priority right now is to feel normal again,” said Heinisch.

He further added, “Luckily, through stem cells and CPI and all these different treatments and just time, not getting hit, I’m feeling good. I’m still training, not doing anything contact. But I love this sport, man. It chose me, and now it’s been taken from me. It sucks, but my heart is still here for the people and I love my journey.”  Ian Heinisch had a short-lived UFC career after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in July 2018, and he went 3-4 in his career with the world’s premier MMA promotion. Now, let’s an active and healthy UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett, who picked Khamzat Chimaev‘s grappling skills over that of the reigning lightweight champion.

Paddy Pimblett picks Khamzat Chimaev over Islam Makhachev

The light Scouser Paddy Pimblett recently came forward to share his thoughts on why Islam Makhachev winning ‘Submission of the Year’ wasn’t warranted as he felt that the accolade should have been awarded to Khamzat Chimaev. The lightweight champion secured his third title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 by way of a fifth-round brabo choke. Despite the incredibly technical moment worthy of a masterclass, Pimblett believes that Chimaev’s first-round submission win over former middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker is more impressive than Makhachev’s.

While having a conversation on his YouTube handle, Pimblett asserted, “Obviously Islam’s sub was good, but it’s just a D’Arce choke. I transitioned from a guillotine to a triangle to an armbar, from the feet. [I] still think Khamzat’s sub was better. Khamzat against Robert Whittaker was a better submission. No one’s done that to Robert Whittaker. Poirier’s been submitted multiple times before. I’d submit Dustin Poirier. No one submitted Bobby Green in like f*cking 12 years or whatever it was.”

Paddy Pimblett’s victory against King Green was equally impressive but it was not even considered for the submission of the year award. Regardless, as ‘The Baddy’ only had one fight in 2024, and will look to take on a top 10 opponent some ti, let us move on forward to Alice Pereira, who has been awarded a UFC contract in Christmas.

Dana White gifts UFC contract to 19-year-old Alice Pereira

We have another Brazilian fighter with the last name Pereira (first name starting with an ‘A’) entering the UFC. It appears that the ‘Golden Girl’ Alice Pereira has finally earned her spot on the prestigious UFC roster. Alice Pereira’s persistence is now part of the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division just before Christmas – a fitting holiday season gift. The 19-year-old Brazilian phenomenon called upon Dana White, asserting that she deserved a UFC contract due to her six-fight winning streak, following her dominating Samara Santos at Cage Masters 2. Moments later, the UFC stepped forward and awarded her a contract.

Dana White announced her signing on Instagram, sharing a heartfelt moment of Pereira receiving the news from UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard. Overwhelmed with emotion, she thanked the promotion for the opportunity. Pereira’s MMA journey began in August 2023, and she has already claimed five finishes, including an 11-second knockout in July. Her UFC debut opponent and date are yet to be announced by the promotion but one thing is certain – her confidence at age 19 is off the charts. What are your thoughts on Alice Pereira? Will she be a force to reckon with in the UFC’s 135-lb weight class? State your thoughts in the comments section below.