Other fighter cuts that just plain don't make sense/piss you off

[Souwerisgod**]

Aaron Simpson is nearly 40 and his KO against Pierce was one of those scary ones. He's a good dude and very likeable but he was fringe UFC caliber and at the end of the line. He also went 1-2 in his last 3. Add all that up and == pink slip.

Antonio McKee was 41 when he got signed, mostly to get it out of the way. If you are the career wrestler who takes a loss to another wrestler in your first outing, thats an easy cut - LW is too deep a division for that.

Jacob Volkmann I didn't agree with - he's most certainly a UFC caliber fighter and put five in a row together. I didn't find him boring because he's constantly looking for a choke, and finally found it against Shane Roller. He was getting better at MMA grappling. Consider he went 1-2 in his last three, both losses by submission, deep division etc. Had he not opened his mouth to complain about the UFC he would likely have gotten invited back, when a short-notice injury opening popped up. He blew that though.

Gerrard Harris nobody really knows what happened. It made zero sense and he was coming off a fantastical stoppage victory. The fight with Falcaio was weird and definitely not a reason to cut someone - something went on behind the scenes that rubbed the back office the wrong way.

Fitch hit a rough spell, was never a company man, and legitimately looked like he couldn't hang with the best anymore. Hendricks put him out with one punch and then a grappler in Maia ran over him. I can see 'best days behind' him point.

Okami is the first cut that truly baffles and disappoints me. No sign of decline, just beat Lombard and Belcher who were legit ranked guys. He's only 32, and a lifelong company man for the org. Totally wack. I'll watch him wherever he goes.

I dont have a problem with any of these cuts really. There are reasons that make sense for all of them.

However cutting Fodor and Sass was just stupid and the only reason the ufc can give is that they are young and can get some wins and back in which we almost never see happening. those are two very good you fighters especially Sass who were just screwed for no reason.

 

[BG Knoccout***]

Didn't agree with Nunes being cut. He only lost to very good fighters, he put on some exciting fights (vs. Siver, Bartimus, Florian) and it's not like he was getting paid big money (a reported 15/15).

 

[aker2703]

I dont have a problem with any of these cuts really. There are reasons that make sense for all of them.

However cutting Fodor and Sass was just stupid and the only reason the ufc can give is that they are young and can get some wins and back in which we almost never see happening. those are two very good you fighters especially Sass who were just screwed for no reason.

no reason? he lost two fights in a row and look bad. he got a jump up in talent and was found wanting.

he needed to round out his game, so a release was not that outrageous.

 

[NormalSizedNog]

Jon Madsen got cut pretty quick after his first loss.

Didn't have any sympathy for that guy, can't stand the fake glove tap thing.

 

[edco76]

Vitor/Randy

 

[Jonny Bones]

I always liked Ben Saunders. He kinda deserved the cut but he was always a fun guy.

 

[phatron]

Of course there's the Gerald Harris cut. Jon Fitch. Antonio McKee was also cut unfairly, even though I don't like his fights anyway. It's just rather unsettling how many fighters get cut with an isolated loss.

Of the 4 I mentioned only 1 is considered an exciting fighter, i know. Though i personally like Harris. All this will get out of hand soon enough and a new org will have enough top fighters to challenge the UFC someday. It has been etched into the cosmos by the gods themselves.

Take every person you mention and stack them on a ppv....and any other released fighters you can think of.

How many ppv buys does it generate? 50K? that's why they were released.

Even take big stars like Rampage and Tito....if that bellator cracks 50k buys i'd be shocked.

 

[ferrisjso]

Well Fitch getting cut made even less sense because besides GSP and Hughes you could argue he's the best fighter in the history of the division. Other less outrageous cuts I disagreed with were Vinny after two losses not three one to Phil Davis the other a lucky first round KO and Kimbo who only lost one fight in the octagon and was a big draw I'm still scratching my head over that one.

 

[natman589]

Take every person you mention and stack them on a ppv....and any other released fighters you can think of.

How many ppv buys does it generate? 50K? that's why they were released.

Even take big stars like Rampage and Tito....if that bellator cracks 50k buys i'd be shocked.

you want to use that logic? take the bottom 80% of EVERY division and make cards out of it. how many does it sell?

not much? cut them all

 

[aker2703]

Well Fitch getting cut made even less sense because besides GSP and Hughes you could argue he's the best fighter in the history of the division. Other less outrageous cuts I disagreed with were Vinny after two losses not three one to Phil Davis the other a lucky first round KO and Kimbo who only lost one fight in the octagon and was a big draw I'm still scratching my head over that one.

do you want me to post the Kimbo/Alexander fight.......... i dare you to watch that fight again.

 

[RawDawgBob]

Good. I'm glad, better for the smaller shows. They should cut more.

 

[hYpeo12]

depends on who you believe.......... i heard (rumour) that he pulled out of a fight (supposed injury) to do a movie. dana found out he wasn't injured and cut his ass.

the other rumour i heard, was he complained too much about fighter pay and he wasn't as needed as he thought he was.

I think I remember hearing Dana say something about Duffee's attitude and how he did something that caused him to get cut. But we all know how much we can believe what Dana says.

I do agree with Harris and Fodor. I never thought too much about the Holobaugh cut, but the fight he had with Siler was a very exciting one. Didn't realize he was 1 and done. Definitely should have given him more time.

 

[Francis Rossi]

Take every person you mention and stack them on a ppv....and any other released fighters you can think of.

How many ppv buys does it generate? 50K? that's why they were released.

Even take big stars like Rampage and Tito....if that bellator cracks 50k buys i'd be shocked.

All the fighters who are draws, none of them sold shit to start with.

 

[Black Gi]

I remember being surprised when they cut Todd Duffee. I think there was some extraneous reason for it (beyond him losing) but I can't remember what it was.

Dana found out he frequented a particular forum.

 

[sknipschild]

i feel jake rosholt looked kinda promising at the time, and that his cut may have been a bit premature....

 

[BruceLeeOnTRT]

Dana found out he frequented a particular forum.

damn look at those TRT heaters.

 

[phatron]

All the fighters who are draws, none of them sold shit to start with.

and okami was in the UFC for 7 years and still wasn't a massive draw, neither was Fitch. At some point the UFC has to try someone else in that position. I'm pretty sure the UFC has stats for a fighters value....how much money they generate compared to how much they cost.

When fighters do what Fitch and Okami did, which was win lots of fights, but not really ever generate a huge following because they just don't have that "it" factor....well when they win a bunch of fights they end up getting a pretty good contract....and then at some point their value goes negative since they don't have the drawing power. At that point (the downward slope of the career arc) it makes more sense for the UFC (from a business standpoint) to cut that fighters high cost and try to build up the next guy young guy. all the fighters the guy mentioned weren't exactly spring chickens....Fitch was 35, okami 32, McKee 43, Gerald harris 33.

 

[Loisaida]

I didn't mind the Fitch cut at all and a big reason why is the fact that in his last fight, he got absolutely manhandled at his own game. In addition WW these days is so stacked and I can see why Dana doesn't want to throw money away on watching Fitch win boring decisions or get dominated.

The Okami cut is the first one that has really bugged me. I think Okami is very overrated but it didn't seem like he required the money Fitch did, and MW is very shallow. Bad cut.

 

[ZackZed]

Jon Madsen just made absolutely no sense to me.
The man was undefeated, and compiled an incredible 4-0 streak. Then after one loss to Mike Russow by doctor stoppage between rounds, UFC let him go. I don't think he even had a fight outside the UFC since the release
The fight with Yvel proved that he can be an exciting fighter if given the right opponent:
[YT]Dlvo3LPVM4w[/YT]

 

[ferrisjso]

do you want me to post the Kimbo/Alexander fight.......... i dare you to watch that fight again.

Never that fight was a boring piece of shit. But that's not the point. The point is that Kimbo was a huge draw and after losing just once to Mitrione he was cut.