The UFC continued its spree of removing fighters from its roster, including bantamweight Daniel Marcos, who had a 5-1, 1 NC UFC record.
Roster Watch reported that bantamweights Marcos and Vince Morales, plus lightweights Lando Vannata and Jamie Mullarkey, were all removed from the UFC roster on Friday.
According to longtime MMA reporter Nolan King, Marcos’ UFC contract expired, and the promotion passed on re-signing him, despite an impressive 5-1, 1 NC record inside the Octagon
Daniel Marcos and Vince Morales Removed from UFC Roster
Of the four fighters removed from the UFC roster today, by far the most successful one inside the Octagon was Marcos.
The 33-year-old Peruvian won a UFC contract after a successful appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, which improved his MMA record to 13-0.
In the UFC, Marcos had five wins in seven fights, including notable victories over Davey Grant, Miles Johns, and Adrian Yanez, with his lone loss in the UFC coming against Montel Jackson.
Despite winning his last fight against Johns, the promotion has opted not to re-sign Marcos, and now, he is a free agent looking for his new home.
As for Morales, his release is a lot more straightforward. Another DWCS veteran, he lost on the show in 2018, but after picking up a win in Bellator, the UFC brought Morales into the Octagon. He then went 3-5 in the UFC and was released.
But after picking up five straight wins on the regional scene, the UFC brought Morales back. However, things went poorly for Morales, as he lost all four of his UFC fights in his second stint in the organization.
Overall, the 35-year-old Morales held a 3-9 UFC record.
Lando Vannata and Jamie Mullarkey Also Removed
In addition to the pair of bantamweights in Marcos and Morales being let go by the UFC, the promotion also released a pair of longtime lightweights in Vannata and Mullarkey.
The 34-year-old Vannata made his UFC debut in 2016 and lost by submission to top contender Tony Ferguson on short notice, though he impressed by scoring a knockdown in that bout.
In the years since that loss to Ferguson, Vannata became a staple of the UFC lightweight division, going 4-8-2 in the Octagon. His best win to this day is his spinning wheel kick KO over John Makdessi at UFC 206 a decade ago.
As for Mullarkey, he was 6-7 in the UFC overall. The 31-year-old Australian native has lost three of his last four bouts overall, and in his MMA career, he has suffered five defeats via stoppage.
Overall, of the four releases today, the only one that’s a surprise is Marcos, as he’s an excellent fighter with a very good UFC record. But as the promotion gets ready to bring in a new crop of prospects from this year’s iteration of DWCS, the matchmakers need to make room on the roster.
That means there are going to be some tough cuts, and as we saw today with these roster removals, even a winning record in the UFC doesn’t guarantee they will bring you back.
UFC Removes More Fighters From Roster, Including Daniel Marcos