The Recent UFC Cut List & Dana White’s Explanation of the Yushin Okami Cut
This is a list of all the UFC Fighters that were cut this month and some of the signings. Yushin Okami, Ryan Couture, James Head,Benny Alloway and Mike Ricci were among the most notable names that were mentioned on the cut list.
The most controversial cut was Yushin Okami. Dana White explained at UFC 168 Media day that Okami was cut for being a ‘gatekeeper’ and was given many chances during his UFC tenure.
“Yushin Okami has been there forever and I’ve said many times I have nothing but respect for Yushin Okami,” White told the media on Sunday. “He’s one of the best Japanese fighters ever. But a guy gets to a point where he becomes the gatekeeper.”
Asked if it was financial, “I don’t know what we paid Yushin,” White said, “but it had nothing to do with his numbers, what he was being paid.”
Recent cuts ‘Courtesy of Wikipedia’
These fighters have been released from their UFC contracts, or announced their retirement, over the course of the last month. If their release has not been announced then they have been listed here based upon their removal from the UFC’s rosters.
Name
Division
UFC record
Papy Abedi
Middleweight
1–3
USA
John Albert
Bantamweight
1–4
AUS
Benny Alloway
Welterweight
1–2
GER
Benjamin Brinsa
Welterweight
0–0
USA
Ryan Couture
Lightweight
0–2
RUS
Azamat Gashimov
Flyweight
0–2
USA
James Head
Welterweight
2–3
JPN
Mizuto Hirota
Featherweight
0–2
JPN
Middleweight
13–5
CAN
Mike Ricci
Lightweight
1–2
USA
Sean Sherk (retired)
Lightweight
8–4
UK
Paul Taylor (retired)
Lightweight
4–5
BRA
Yuri Villefort
Welterweight
0–2
USA
Keith Wisniewski
Welterweight
0–4
BRA
Joao Zeferino
Welterweight
0–2
Recent signings
The fighters in this section have either signed with the UFC in the last month, have recently returned from an announced retirement, or have yet to make their UFC or return debut.
Name
Division
MMA record
RUS
Omari Akhmedov
Middleweight
11–0
RUS
Aleksandra Albu
Women’s Bantamweight
5–0
BRA
Igor Araujo
Welterweight
23–6
BRA
Yan Cabral
Welterweight
10–0
BRA
Geronimo dos Santos
Heavyweight
32–14
USA
Robert Drysdale
Light Heavyweight
6–0
USA
Jessica Eye
Women’s Bantamweight
10–1
USA
Walter Harris
Heavyweight
6–1
JPN
Kyoji Horiguchi
Bantamweight
11–1
USA
Brian Houston
Middleweight
4–0
BRA
Guto Inocente
Light Heavyweight
6–2
CAN
Sarah Kaufman
Women’s Bantamweight
16–2
USA
Derrick Lewis
Heavyweight
9–2 (1 NC)
BRA
Adriano Martins
Lightweight
24–6
USA
Darrell Montague
Flyweight
13–2
USA
Dustin Ortiz
Flyweight
11–2
BRA
Allan Patrick
Lightweight
10–0
ARG
Santiago Ponzinibbio
Welterweight
18–1
BRA
Wilson Reis
Bantamweight
16–4
USA
Jared Rosholt
Heavyweight
8–1
BEL
Tarec Saffiedine
Welterweight
14–3
BRA
Bruno Santos
Middleweight
13–0
USA
Justin Scoggins
Flyweight
7–0
CHN
Jumabieke Tuerxun
Bantamweight
14–0
USA
Garett Whiteley
Lightweight
8–0
COMMENTS
English