Ben Saunders Announces Release From UFC

Ben Saunders, a former contestant on the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter, was released from his UFC contract following his loss to veteran Dannis Hallman at UFC 117 last weekend.

The 27-year-old announced the news via his Twitter account.

“The UFC has officially cut me,” he wrote. “The good news is they told me to work on my wrestling and ground game and then come back. So that is all I am going to be doing: improving dramatically and [showing] them I belong.”

The loss to Hallman was Saunders’ third in four previous bouts. After a loss to Mike Swick at UFC 99, Saunders rebounded with a vicious knockout of Marcus Davis last fall. But two straight losses to Jon Fitch and Hallman sent Saunders straight to the back of the UFC welterweight line.

“To all my fans, I thank you all and [promise] no matter where I go or who I fight, I will be making the biggest and loudest noise I can letting it be known I am still here working harder than ever and will never give up,” Hallman wrote. “I will prove my worth and make my return to the UFC.”