The UFC roster has been trimmed as a dozen fighters have parted ways with the promotion in the past three days.
While many of the departures were that of fighters who were two or three fighters into their promotional tenure, two athletes with double digits in the promotion were among those to split.
News of the departures were first reported by algorithm-based Twitter account, UFC Roster Watch, which monitors the rankings-eligibility of the promotion’s roster.
Scroll below to read about the 12 fighters who are now free agents after leaving the UFC. The designation of each athlete’s departure, whether it be a release, a completion of contract, or a retirement, is unknown unless noted otherwise.
Askar Askarov
Age: 30
Weight class: Flyweight
Overall record: 14-1-1
UFC record: 3-1-1
Perhaps the most high-profile of the bunch, Askar Askarov established himself as a contender in the flyweight division. Weight management became an issue, however, as Askarov missed weight twice toward the end of his UFC tenure. Despite his only career loss a title eliminator against Kai Kara-France, Askarov requested (and was granted) his UFC release after a scheduled bout vs. Brandon Royval fell through when Askarov couldn’t make weight. Askarov departs the promotion with key resume wins over Joseph Benavidez, Alexandre Pantoja, and Tim Elliott. He also drew vs. Brandon Moreno in his promotional debut.
Askar Askarov first announced he asked for release in an Instagram post.
Misha Cirkunov
Age: 35
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Overall record: 15-9
UFC record: 6-7
The second longest-tenured fighter of the group, Misha Cirkunov had his ups and downs during his seven-year UFC tenure. After a 4-0 start in the promotion, Cirkunov went 2-7 in his next nine. He was finished six times in the UFC, but picked up notable wins over Jimmy Crute, Ion Cutelaba, and Nikita Krylov, among others. He departs the promotion on a four-fight skid.
MMA Fighting confirmed Cirkunov’s departure with UFC officials.
Louis Cosce
Age: 27
Weight class: Welterweight
Overall record: 7-2
UFC record: 0-2
Louis Cosce’s first UFC stint was a two-and-out. He made history in 2020, when he and his older brother Orion signed with the promotion on the same night with finish victories on Dana White’s Contender Series. In his UFC debut, Cosce partook in a strong back-and-forth effort against Sasha Palatnikov, though lost by TKO. His second UFC appearance wasn’t as thrilling, as he lost a lackluster unanimous decision to Trevin Giles in September.
MMA Junkie confirmed Cosce’s departure with a source close to the situation.
Krzysztof Jotko
Age: 33
Weight class: Middleweight
Overall record: 24-6
UFC record: 11-6
The longest-tenured fighter of the bunch, Krzysztof Jotko made his UFC debut in 2014. A sharp technical fighter with durability and well-roundedness, Jotko proved a tough test for much of the middleweight division. Though he never entered title contention, he competed with various notable names and defeated Gerald Meerschaert, Eryk Anders, Thales Leites and others. He leaves the UFC despite going 2-1 in his most recent three, and 5-2 in his most recent seven.
MMA Fighting confirmed Jotko’s departure with UFC officials.
Sergey Khandozhko
Age: 30
Weight class: Welterweight
Overall record: 27-6-1
UFC record: 2-1
Not many fighters retire with a 2-1 UFC record at age 30, but that’s what Sergey Khandozhko has announced he’s done. Monday, Khandozhko revealed his retirement and pointed to the physical and social toll being a professional fighter took on him. His UFC wins include Rostem Akman and Dwight Grant, victories that bookend a loss to Rustam Khabilov.
Khandozkho was first to announce his retirement in an Instagram post.
Nick Maximov
Age: 24
Weight class: Middleweight
Overall record: 8-2
UFC record: 2-2
A protege of Nate Diaz, middleweight Nick Maximov is a free agent, just like his mentor is about to be. After back-to-back wins over Cody Brundage and Puna Soriano, Maximov dropped consecutive fights against Andre Petroski and Jacob Malkoun.
MMA Fighting confirmed Maximov’s departure with UFC officials.
Magomed Mustafaev
Age: 34
Weight class: Lightweight
Overall record: 14-2
UFC record: 3-2
Magomed Mustafaev often found success in the UFC cage – but making it there was the issue. Mustafaev departs the promotion after five-straight cancellations. Visa issues and opponent injuries continuously nixed two years of scheduled bouts for Mustafaev, including during UFC 280 fight week when his opponent Yamato Nishikawa was removed from the card.
MMA Fighting confirmed Mustafaev’s departure with UFC officials.
Charlie Ontiveros
Age: 31
Weight class: Lightweight
Overall record: 11-9
UFC record: 0-3
Charlie Ontiveros fought three times under the UFC banner after he signed on short notice in 2020. An all-action fighter, Ontiveros was finished in all three appearances, most recently against Gabriel Benitez in August.
MMA Junkie confirmed Ontiveros’s departure with a source close to the situation.
Jesse Ronson
Age: 36
Weight class: Lightweight
Overall record: 21-12 (1 NC)
UFC record: 0-5 (1 NC)
Jesse Ronson exits his second UFC stint with two losses and one no contest more than when he entered. Ronson competed in the UFC from 2013-2014 and went 0-3. He slowly worked his way back and re-signed in 2020. His return was initially a submission win over Nicolas Dalby. However, the result was overturned after he tested positive for a banned substance. Following the completion of a 20-month suspension, Ronson lost back-to-back fights inside the distance against Rafa Garcia and Joaquim Silva, which led to his promotional departure.
MMA Fighting confirmed Ronson’s departure with UFC officials.
Cameron VanCamp
Age: 29
Weight class: Lightweight
Overall record: 15-7-1 (1 NC)
UFC record: 0-2
Cameron VanCamp was signed to the UFC in September 2021, but withdrew days later due to an injury. In June, he debuted against Andre Fialho and was knocked out in the first round at UFC 274. In September, VanCamp faced the same fate, only this time at the hands of Nikolas Motta.
MMA Junkie confirmed VanCamp’s departure with a source close to the situation.
Darian Weeks
Age: 28
Weight class: Welterweight
Overall record: 5-3
UFC record: 0-3
Darian Weeks remained active during his first UFC stint. Following a December debut loss to Bryan Barberena, Weeks lost to Ian Garry in April, then Yohan Lainesse in September. All three losses came in nine months’ time, and were all by decision.
MMA Junkie confirmed Weeks’ departure with a source close to the situation.
Jason Witt
Age: 35
Weight class: Welterweight
Overall record: 19-9
UFC record: 2-4
Glory MMA and Fitness staple Jason Witt has announced his retirement following back-to-back knockout losses in the UFC. He competed six times for the promotion after he signed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and picked up wins over Cole Williams and Bryan Barberena.
Witt first announced his retirement in an Instagram post.
