The UFC has released three fighters, including undefeated welterweight contender Rinat Fakhretdinov, who completed his contract without re-signing, along with Loik Radzhabov and Elizeu Zaleski.
The UFC has recently released three fighters, including a welterweight contender with an unblemished record in the promotion. Quite a surprise, right?
Rinat Fakhretdinov, confirmed by a UFC official and others, is no longer part of the UFC roster. His record? An impressive 6-0-1, capped off with a blazing 54-second knockout of Andreas Gustafsson at UFC Paris. Yet, the UFC chose not to renew his contract. Odd choice, some might say.
Tom Feely broke the news on Twitter. Gotta love social media for those instant updates.
Fakhretdinov, 34, also snagged a slick submission win over former interim title challenger Kevin Lee back in July 2023. Quite the highlight reel.
MMA Fighting also confirmed the departures of Loik Radzhabov and Elizeu Zaleski. Both fighters have completed their contracts with the UFC. Radzhabov, a former PFL finalist, ended his UFC stint with a 2-2 record, recently losing to Trey Ogden in July 2024. Tough break.
Zaleski, on the other hand, has struggled, winning only once in his last five fights. His recent bouts included stoppage losses to Chidi Njokuani and Neil Magny. A rough patch, indeed.