As 2019 winds down, the UFC has trimmed its roster. A dozen fighters have been released from their contracts or not re-signed in recent weeks, MMA Junkie has learned.
Each fighter listed has announced the release, or a member of his or her team has informed MMA Junkie of the news. The order in which they appear is alphabetical, not chronological.
The exact time frames and terms of the releases (i.e. end of contract vs. severance) were not disclosed to MMA Junkie.
Rostem Akman | Welterweight (6-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Sweden’s Rostem Akman debuted at UFC on ESPN+ 11 in early June. Taking a fight against Sergey Khandozhko in enemy territory, Akman lost a unanimous decision. Akman suffered the same fate in his sophomore outing, losing a unanimous decision to Jake Matthews at UFC 243 in October.
Allen Crowder | Heavyweight (10-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Heavyweight Allen Crowder has retired, according to a report from BJPenn.com. Crowder has decided to step away from due to ongoing memory issues caused by concussions. The North Carolina-based big man’s lone UFC win came against Greg Hardy in January. Crowder won by disqualification due to an illegal knee. His lone victory with the promotion was bookended by knockout losses to Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Justin Willis.
More roster updates on the next page:
Te Edwards | Lightweight (6-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
A signee off of Dana White’s Contender Series, Te Edwards came into the UFC with a head full of steam in 2018. An Arizona State University wrestler who won six pro bouts by knockout, Edwards posed a unique threat to the lightweight division. However, Edwards dropped his two outings to Don Madge and Dennis Bermudez, respectively.
Jason Gonzalez | Lightweight (11-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
A lengthy lightweight, Jason Gonzalez made his UFC debut after a stint on Season 22 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” After being knocked out by Drew Dober in his debut at UFC 203 in September 2016, Gonzalez rebounded with a win over JC Cottrell. Before parting ways with the UFC, Gonzalez lost a “Fight of the Night” to Gregor Gillespie and, in April, was submitted by Jim Miller at UFC on ESPN+ 8.
Kurt Holobaugh | Lightweight (17-7 MMA, 0-4 UFC)
After numerous impressive regional showings and a brutal knockout of Matt Bessette on DWCS, Kurt Holobaugh came into his second UFC stint with a lot of momentum. Despite spirited efforts against Raoni Barcelos, Shane Burgos, and Thiago Moises, the Louisianan was unable to capture his elusive first UFC victory.
More roster updates on the next page:
Darrell Horcher | Lightweight (13-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Fight fans probably remember Darrell Horcher best from his 2016 bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Horcher’s lone win under the promotion’s banner came at UFC Fight Night 112 in June 2017, when he defeated Devin Powell by split decision. Back-to-back defeats to Scott Holtzman and Roosevelt Roberts led to his departure.
Sergio Moraes | Welterweight (14-6-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC)
A jiu-jitsu black belt, Sergio Moraes made his promotional debut at UFC 147 in 2012. After losing that night, Moraes would go unbeaten in his next seven outings. From there, Moraes dropped four of his final six fights, including three straight losses that ultimately led to his UFC exit (first reported by MMA Fighting).
Lauren Mueller | Women’s flyweight (5-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
The first female signee off of DWCS, Lauren Mueller struggled to pick up victories in her UFC tenure. While she was victorious in her promotional debut at UFC on FOX 29 in April 2018, Mueller lost her final three fights. Her most recent loss came to JJ Aldrich at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.
More roster updates on the next page:
Zak Ottow | Welterweight (17-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
A head coach at rising Wisconsin-based gym Pura Vida BJJ & MMA, Zak Ottow competed eight times in the UFC. A member of the promotion’s welterweight roster since October 2016, Ottow alternated wins and losses up until his UFC exit. Ottow’s wins include Josh Burkman, Mike Pyle, Dwight Grant, and Kiichi Kunimoto. His losses came to Alex Morono, Sage Northcutt, Li Jingliang, and Sergio Moraes.
Boston Salmon | Bantamweight (6-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
A signee of the inaugural season of DWCS, Boston Salmon had to wait to make his UFC debut. Already training on a bad knee, Salmon suffered a severe injury preparing for his first UFC fight against Raoni Barcelos. The injury delayed his promotional start by 18 months. Salmon competed twice in the UFC, losing to Khalid Taha and Randy Costa – both by first-round knockout.
Allan Zuniga | Lightweight (13-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
A member of “The Ultimate Fighter 27,” Allan Zuniga made his lone UFC appearance on the season’s finale card. Taking on John Gunther, Zuniga dropped a majority decision. However, the fight was still historic for Zuniga. His participation made him the first Costa Rican to ever compete in the UFC. On Nov. 29, Zuniga competed at LUX Fight League 7. He lost to Sergio Daniel Cossio Dominguez via third-round TKO.
