UFC Cuts 12 Fighters Including Former World-Title Challenger

As we move closer to the end of Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series, a wave of underperforming veterans had their UFC deals slashed.

The Contender Series has become one of the primary routes for fighters into the UFC, and subsequently, the close of a season usually means veterans will have their spots taken by the newcomers.

According to UFC Roster Tracker, the following 12 fighters were cut from October 7-9.

• Kleydson Rodrigues
• Ovince Saint Preux
• Karl Williams
• Victor Altamirano
• Da Woon Jung
• Kay Kruschewsky
• Brianna Fortino
• Victoria Leonardo
• Danyelle Wolf
• Jarno Errens
• Ricky Glenn
• Brian Kelleher

The most notable names on the list are Kelleher and Saint Preux.

Kelleher, 38, has a 24-16 professional mixed martial artist record. He has lost his last four fights with every defeat coming by stoppage.

Most recently, Kelleher suffered a submission loss to Cody Gibson in July 2024. Based on Kelleher’s record, age, and recent history, it’s easy to see why the UFC chose to part ways with the veteran.

Kelleher made his UFC debut in 2017 at UFC 212 with a submission win over Iuri Alcantara. At his peak with the UFC, he was ranked No. 15 in the bantamweight division.

Saint Preux, 41, got his walking papers just two days after he lost to Ryan Spann on the prelims of UFC 307 on October 5. Spann submitted Saint Preux in the first round with a standing guillotine.

Saint Preux exits the UFC with a 27-18 record as a pro and a 15-13 mark in the UFC. At one point, Saint Preux was one of the top light heavyweights in the world.

He challenged Jon Jones for the interim light heavyweight championship in April 2016 at UFC 197. Saint Preux lost via unanimous decision.

During his career, Saint Preux has competed at light heavyweight and heavyweight with noteworthy wins over Gian Villante, Nikita Krylov, Shogun Rua, Yushin Okami, Corey Anderson, and Tyson Pedro.

The UFC Newcomers From Dana White Contender Series

Through the first nine episodes of this season’s DWCS, the promotion has already awarded 38 fighters new contracts, and there is one episode left, which could see the number of new entrants to the roster grow to 43.

Some of the more notable newcomers are Artem Vakhitov, a former kickboxer who fought UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in that sport twice, defeating him once. Torrez Finney is a muscular middleweight known for his compact physique and massive punching power.

He needed three visits to the Contender Series to earn a contract, but he got it done in episode eight. There’s also 6-foot-7 Brazilian heavyweight Talisson Teixeira, who scored an explosive first-round KO to earn his spot.

Stay tuned for coverage of the final episode of this season on Tuesday, October 15.