Getty Nick Maximov
Eleven fighters are no longer part of the UFC’s roster, officials recently confirmed to MMA Fighting.
Among the most notable, flyweight combatant Askar Askarov and Nate Diaz’s protégé Nick Maximox will not step inside the Octagon for their next bout. At the time of his release — which he asked for — Askarov was ranked in the division’s top five.
UFC veterans Misha Cirkunov and Krzysztof Jotko also parted ways with the promotion. Check out the full list below — along with their UFC and MMA records — provided by MMA Fighting.
Askar Askarov (3-1-1 UFC, 14-1-1)
Misha Cirkunov (6-7 UFC, 15-9)
Louis Cosce (0-2 UFC, 7-2)
Krzysztof Jotko (11-6 UFC, 24-6)
Nick Maximov (2-2 UFC, 8-2)
Magomed Mustafaev (3-2 UFC, 14-4)
Charlie Ontiveros (0-3 UFC, 11-9)
Jesse Ronson (0-5 [NC] UFC, 21-12 [NC])
Cameron VanCamp (0-2 UFC, 15-7-1 [1 NC])
Darian Weeks (0-3 UFC, 5-3)
Jason Witt (2-4 UFC, 19-9)
Askarov Suffered the First Loss of His Professional Mixed Martial Arts Career Earlier This Year, Asked for His Release After a Botched Weight Cut
At the start of 2022, Askarov was at the door of receiving a 125-pound title shot. At 14-0-1, Askarov knew only success in his professional mixed martial arts career besides a lone draw he incurred against ex-flyweight champ Brandon Moreno in 2019.
But, his streak came to an end in March when he battled Kai Kara-France at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Daukaus. The two competed during the night’s main card and Kara-France edged a unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).
Kara-France went on to fight Moreno for the interim flyweight belt in July at UFC 277, a spot Askarov would’ve likely filled if he had beaten the Kiwi. Moreno won the fight via third-round TKO.
Askarov was recently scheduled for his comeback bout against Brandon Royval at UFC Vegas 62 on October 15, however the fight was scrapped a day before the event. “Due to weight management issues with Askar Askarov, his flyweight bout with Brandon Royval has been cancelled from tomorrow’s event,” a statement from the UFC read (h/t MMA Fighting).
Further, Royval pinned the blame for the fight cancellation on Askarov. “Woke up at 127… before I started the weight cut I heard my opponents not going to make weight,” the flyweight tweeted. “They turned down a catch weight, so it looks like the fight is off. Heartbroken but thank you @tylermintonnutrition for another easy weight cut, we stay professional on our end.”
On October 29, Askarov shared a photo on Instagram of two UFC gloves laying inside the company’s cage. And in the post’s caption, Askarov confirmed that he had asked for his release.
“Due to my return being delayed due to medical reasons and being my last fight under my contract, I asked UFC to release me,” Askarov wrote via Instagram’s Russian-to-English translation. “To which, I received a positive response. First, let’s put our health in order, and then we will see what and how.
Maximov Lost His Last 2 UFC Fights in a Row
Maximov, who is best known for training with Nick and Nate Diaz, suffered back-to-back defeats before his time with the UFC was over.
He signed on with the company after earning a unanimous decision win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020. All in all, he fought four times inside the Octagon, going 2-2.
Maximov, 24, has a professional mixed martial arts record of 8-2.