The number of departures from the UFC in recent weeks is now at 15 as more fighters have officially parted ways with the promotion.
Days after eight fighters, including seasoned veterans Ilir Latifi and Makwan Amirkhani, were announced as no longer on the roster, MMA Junkie has confirmed seven more names that first appeared on a Twitter account based on a algorithm. List of UFC members.
Check out the seven names below. Please note: It is unclear whether fighters were released mid-contract or left the promotion after their promotional deals were completed, unless otherwise stated.
Nick Fiore
Age: 25
Register: 6-2
UFC record: 0-2
weight class: Lightweight
The third member of the New England Cartel to enter the promotion, Nick Fiore’s tenure in the UFC lasted approximately five months. After a narrow loss to Mateusz Rebecki in January, Fiore lost a second unanimous decision to Chase Hooper in May.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed Fiore’s release to MMA Junkie.
Eric González
Age: 31
Register: 14-8
UFC record: 0-3
weight class: Lightweight
It was a three-and-out for Erick Gonzalez, but he brought violence despite the losses. After a knockout loss to Jim Miller in his debut, Gonzalez fought Terrance McKinney in a wild shootout. McKinney submitted Gonzalez, who returned to fight Trevor Peek in February. Once again the fight was action packed but Gonzalez lost by knockout in the first round.
Eric González announced his UFC exit June 1.
Bea Malecki
Age: 31
Register: 2-1
UFC record: 2-1
weight class: Bantamweight
Bea Malecki made her pro debut alongside her UFC debut after a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 28. After back-to-back wins over Duda Santana and Veronica Hardy to kick off her UFC tenure, Malecki was knocked out by Josiane Nunes in August 2021. Struggling with prolonged concussion-like issues, Malecki revealed his departure from the UFC was mutual and based on his desire to fight at 145lbs – a division in which the promotion does not often book fights.
Malecki confirmed his departure from the UFC in a recent Instagram post.
Maria Oliveira
Age: 26
Register: 13-7
UFC record: 1-3
weight class: Straw weight
Maria Oliveira showed promising glimpses during her UFC tenure, but back-to-back decision losses sent her back to the free agent pool. After a 1-1 start to her promotional tenure that included a win over Gloria de Paula, Oliveira lost back-to-back decisions to Vanessa Demopoulos and Diana Belbita, the latter of which took place on June 10, which led to her split at the UFC.
UFC officials confirmed the release with MMA Fighting.
Aaron Phillips
Age:
Register: 12-5
UFC record: 0-4
weight class: Bantamweight
Aaron Phillips’ second stint in the UFC ended after an 0-2 streak – like his first stint in 2014. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Phillips joined the promotion after five straight wins . In his comeback fight, Phillips lost via submission to Jack Shore in July 2020. After numerous cancellations, Phillips returned in April 2023 and lost a unanimous decision to newcomer Gaston Bolanos.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed Phillips’ release to MMA Junkie.
Takashi Sato
Age: 32
Register: 16-10
UFC record: 2-5
weight class: Welterweight
Japan’s Takashi Sato leaves the UFC after four straight losses. After a 2-1 start to his promotional tenure that included TKOs of Ben Saunders and Jason Witt, Sato dropped out of fights against Miguel Baeza, Gunnar Nelson, Bryan Battle and Themba Gorimbo before his departure from the UFC.
A person with knowledge of the situation has confirmed Sato’s departure to MMA Junkie.
Don Shainis
Age: 31
Register: 12-5
UFC record: 0-2
weight class: Lightweight
Massachusetts’ Don Shainis had two fights in the UFC and although they were both lost, they went very differently. After a 30-second loss to Sodiq Yusuff in October, Shainis launched a three-round war against Jack Jenkins at UFC 284 in February. Shainis lost via unanimous decision but showed tenacity and persistence throughout.
Don Shainis confirmed his UFC exit in a recent Instagram post.
Other potential departures
The following fighters have also been detected by UFC Roster Watch as having been removed from Fan Ranking eligibility, but MMA Junkie has yet to confirm the status of the fighters.
-
Welterweight: Orion Cosce (8-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
-
Light heavyweight: Maxim Grishin (32-10-2 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
-
Featherweight: Journey Newson (10-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC)
-
Welterweight: Martin Sano Jr. (4-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
-
Heavyweight: Braxton Smith (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
The story originally appeared on MMA Junkie