Yahoo Sports UFC parts ways with eight fighters, including two after decade-long tenures
Eight fighters are no longer on the UFC roster, including two athletes who were with the promotion approximately a decade each.
Whether it was the impending wave of fighters who will be signed to compete on “Dana White’s Contender Series,” Season 7 or simply performance or contract-based decisions, the promotion parted ways with these fighters in recent weeks.
Algorithm-based Twitter account UFC Roster Watch first published the transactions when the promotion removed the fighters from official rankings eligibility.
Unless denoted, it is unclear whether each athlete was released or fought out their contract.
Makwan Amirkhani
Age: 34
Record: 17-9
UFC record: 7-7
Weight class: Featherweight
“Mr. Finland” had 14 fights in the UFC, but his run has come to an end (at least for now). Makwan Amirkhani became a fighter to watch just eight seconds into his UFC career when he finished Andy Ogle with a running knee TKO at the start of their UFC on FOX 14 fight in January 2015. Over the next eight-plus years, Amirkhani defeated a slew of opponents with his slick grappling game. However, his exit from the UFC was a bit bumpy with six losses in eight fights to close out his tenure.
UFC officials confirmed Amirkhani’s departure to MMA Fighting.
Danaa Batgerel
Age: 33
Record: 12-5
UFC record: 3-4
Weight class: Bantamweight
Heavy-fisted bantamweight Danaa Batgerel is no longer on the UFC roster after three straight losses, including a TKO defeat to Brady Hiestand in his most recent outing in April. Batgerel’s skid came after a three-fight winning streak that included knockouts of Kevin Natividad and Brandon Davis.
UFC officials confirmed Batgerel’s departure to MMA Fighting.
Tony Gravely
Age: 31
Record: 23-9
UFC record: 4-4
Weight class: Bantamweight
Bantamweight Tony Gravely showed flashes of brilliance over his eight-fight UFC tenure including knockouts of Anthony Birchak and Johnny Munoz. Gravely departs the promotion after to back-to-back decision losses to Javid Basharat and Victor Henry.
UFC officials confirmed Gravely’s departure to MMA Fighting.
Joseph Holmes
Age: 27
Record: 8-4
UFC record: 1-3
Weight class: Middleweight
“Ugly Man Joe” is also off the UFC roster. A Dana White’s Contender Series and “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight” standout, Joseph Holmes entered the UFC with a head full of steam in early 2022. After a loss to Jamie Pickett in his debut, Holmes trucked through Alen Amedovski in 64 seconds for his first UFC victory. Back-to-back losses against Jun Yong Park and Claudio Ribeiro led to his departure.
Holmes confirmed his UFC departure on Instagram.
Trevin Jones
Age: 32
Record: 13-10
UFC record: 1-4 (with one no contest)
Weight class: Bantamweight
Trevin Jones signed with the UFC on short notice in August 2020. With a stiff test in front of him, Jones defied the odds and came back from the brink of defeat when he rallied to finish Timur Valiev with strikes. The win was later overturned to a no contest when Jones tested positive for marijuana. When he returned, Jones knocked out Mario Bautista. The victory was his final (to date) in the UFC, as he lost four fights in a row prior to his promotional departure.
Jones confirmed his UFC departure on Instagram and revealed he’s considering moving up to featherweight for his next fight.
Ilir Latifi
Age: 40
Record: 16-9
UFC record: 9-7
Weight class: Heavyweight
Ilir Latifi entered the UFC in a unique situation. When Alexander Gustafsson suffered a laceration in training days out from a scheduled main event bout vs. Gegard Mousasi, his teammate, Latifi, signed with the UFC and stepped in. He went five rounds with Mousasi, which earned him respect from fans around the globe. Over the next 10 years, Latifi had ups and downs at light heavyweight before he elevated to heavyweight. His promotional victories included Ovince Saint-Preux, Tyson Pedro, Aleksei Oleinik, and Tanner Boser. He exits the UFC having won two of three after the completion of his contract.
Latifi’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA, confirmed the departure to ESPN and revealed it came at the completion of a contract.
Mounir Lazzez
Age: 35
Record: 11-3
UFC record: 2-2
Weight class: Welterweight
Egypt’s Mounir Lazzez burst into the national spotlight when he won his promotional debut as a relative unknown against Abdul Razak Alhassan. It later came to light that his signing was a result of UFC president Dana White being convinced in a bar that he should give him a shot. Lazzez went 1-2 in his next three fights. He most recently competed at UFC 283 in January when he was submitted by Gabriel Bonfim in 49 seconds.
UFC officials confirmed Lazzez’s departure to MMA Fighting.
Omar Morales
Age: 37
Record: 11-4
UFC record: 3-4
Weight class: Lightweight
Venezuela’s Omar Morales proved to be a tough outing for many of his opponents, but he struggled to get wins after a 3-1 start to his UFC tenure. He departs the promotion after consecutive losses to Jonathan Pearce, Uros Medic, and most recently Chris Duncan at UFC 286 in March.
UFC officials confirmed Morales’ departure to MMA Fighting.
