Just 48 hours ago, the Cuban Yoel Romero was released from the UFC. His long-time manager Malki Kawa announced that Romero still had three fights left on his contract but was unable to renegociate with the UFC for a new deal.
Right after UFC Vegas 16, UFC president, Dana White talked to the media at the post-fight press conference. He addressed Romero’s release and added that the company plans to cut up to 60 fighters in the following weeks.
“It’s not just Yoel,” White said on Romero’s release. “We’re going to go through some serious cuts here at the end of the year. Probably going to have 60 cuts before the first of the year. Yoel has lost four of his last five. He’s 44 years old. Our roster is very inflated right now. We’re going to have some big cuts coming before the end of the year.
“You’re going to see a lot of names going here in the next several weeks.”
White seems pretty clear about the UFC’s plans for the end of the year. This is probably due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic that severely cut the UFC’s income. If a fighter like Romero isn’t safe, then pretty much no one is. As White mentioned during the interview, many other big names in the sport might be let go from the company in the coming weeks.
