UFC president Dana White said a host of UFC fighters will soon be looking for another promotion to fight for after revealing that as many as 60 fighters are set to be cut from the roster.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference after UFC Vegas 16 in Las Vegas, White revealed that the surprise release of four-time UFC middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero was the first of many departures from the promotion that are set to be confirmed in the remaining weeks of the year.
“It’s not just Yoel,” White explained to reporters.
“We’re going to go through some serious cuts here at the end of the year. We’re probably going to have 60 cuts coming up before the first of the year.”
Romero, who had fought twice for the undisputed 185-pound title and twice for the interim belt, was confirmed as having left the organization before this weekend’s event, and when asked about the departure, White revealed the extent of the roster cutting that is set to take place, while also explaining the rationale behind Romero’s specific release, despite him having three fights left on his contract.
“Yoel has lost four of his last five. He’s 44 years old,” he said.
“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. … These are the tough decisions you gotta make.”
