Four fighters have been cut from the UFC roster just days before Christmas.
Rhys McKee announced his second exit from MMA’s premier promotion last week.
It likely did not come as a surprise for ‘Skeletor’, who went on a 1-5 run during his two stints with the UFC.
Since then, it’s been confirmed that Loik Radzhabov has also been cut following a 2-2 run in the Octagon.
Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
UFC shocks fans with latest cuts
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos has been cut from the promotion after an 18-fight UFC stint.
The Brazilian welterweight won 11 fights, lost six, and had one draw during his time in Dana White‘s MMA league.
Dos Santos will be most remembered for knocking out Sean Strickland with a spinning wheel kick in May 2018.
The 39-year-old has won just one of his last five fights, so his UFC release is not a massive shock.
In contrast, Rinat Fakhretdinov’s departure has come as a massive shock to MMA fans all over the world.
If you were Dana White, who’s the first fighter you’d cut from the UFC roster?
Dana White attends the UFC 319 pre-fight press conference in August, 2025. Credit: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
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The 34-year-old is unbeaten since suffering his first and only career defeat on the day he made his debut in May 2013.
Today, he boasts a 24–1–1 record, which includes a 6-0-1 run since joining the UFC in June 2022.
The only slight blip came in a majority draw with the aforementioned Dos Santos two years ago
In September, Fakhretdinov…
2025-12-23 13:00:00
