The UFC continued to trim down its fighter roster as several veteran fighters have been removed from the promotion’s list of athletes.
UFC Roster Watch, which keeps track of additions and removals to the UFC fighter roster, reported that the world’s leading MMA promotion has removed several fighters from its roster in recent days.
List of UFC Fighters Removed
According to UFC Roster Watch, the following fighters have been removed from the roster:
- Women’s bantamweight Hailey Cowan
- Bantamweight Bekzat Almakhan
- Bantamweight Cody Gibson
- Featherweight Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
- Flyweight Stewart Nicoll
- Featherweight Jessie Rosas
Now, let’s go through these fighters one by one.
Hailey Cowan is not a surprise to see on this list, as she recently announced her retirement from MMA after going 0-4 in the UFC, so her removal from the roster was just a formality.
Bekzat Almakhan went 1-3 overall in the UFC, and since most contracts are four fights, his deal was likely up. But at the same time, he did fight tough competition, and he did score a knockdown when he fought top contender Umar Nurmagomedov in 2024, so perhaps with a few wins outside of the UFC, Almakhan will get another shot, as he is just 28 years old.
Cody Gibson is 38 and was riding a three-fight losing skid, so his removal isn’t surprising at all. He has just a 3-8 record in the UFC across two different stints, so even though he was typically an exciting fighter to watch, that record wasn’t going to cut it.
Shayilan Nuerdanbieke had a 3-3 record in the UFC, but he hasn’t fought since June 2024, and there were reports that he wanted his release, so this one isn’t a surprise to see, either.
Stewart Nicoll was 0-4 in the UFC, so even though he fought some pretty tough competition, when you don’t win a single fight, unfortunately, you are at risk of being released.
Jessie Rosas, meanwhile, was forced to withdraw from his UFC debut against Miles Johns due to the doctors pulling him for a scratch on his forehead. But while he was removed from the roster, perhaps he will get another chance if he can get back into the UFC’s good graces, since he never actually fought inside the Octagon and got to show anything.
DWCS Means More Roster Cuts Coming
Now in its 10th season, with Dana White’s Contender Series having started this week, the UFC needs to make room for its new incoming talent by cutting fighters from its roster.
This week alone, UFC president Dana White signed four new fighters from the first episode of the show, and he could sign upwards of 50 athletes overall this season. That means that up to 50 fighters could be removed from the roster to make room for these new athletes coming in.
Unfortunately, one of the tough things about the UFC is that if you lose a fight, the promotion can cut you, which is why it’s so important to keep winning. Not only that, but you have to be entertaining, because if you aren’t fun to watch, the UFC might let you go when your contract ends, even if you win your fights.
UFC Continues to Trim Down Roster