Dana White Rejects Fighter's Request And Brutally Axes Him From The UFC

Dana White completely ignored a veteran fighter's final request as it's been confirmed the UFC boss cut him from the organisation.

Following the UFC's blockbuster $7.7 billion deal with Paramount+ for the US broadcast rights, it's been clear that the Mixed Martial Arts organisation is ready to make some big changes.

Since the decision, the UFC have held two major fights cards, headlined by Justin Gaethje beating Paddy Pimblett in an interim lightweight title bout and Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title in a rematch with Diego Lopes.

But it's not just matchmaking that has kept the UFC busy since the deal was confirmed, as the organisation have also cut ties with several fighters in recent months, including unbeaten welterweight Rinat Fakhretdinov.

And now, it's been confirmed that UFC boss White has continued to clean up the organisation's ranks, cutting another three fighters including one who had made one final request before the decision was made.

Rinat Fakhretdinov of Russia was cut from the UFC just weeks into 2026. (Image: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Over the weekend, bantamweight contenders Mario Bautista and Vinicius Oliveira headlined a card inside the UFC's Apex.

Earlier in the card, Javid Basharat stepped in on late-notice to fight Gianni Vazquez, bouncing back from back-to-back losses with a unanimous decision win.

However, it has since been revealed that ‘The Snow Leopard’ has been released from the roster despite going 4-2-1 in his seven UFC fights.

And Basharat wasn't the only fighter to be cut from the UFC, as featherweight fighter Lucas Almeida has also been removed, following a six fight run that saw him win two fights and lose four.

But perhaps the most brutal decision came as 24-fight veteran Alex Morono was released from his contract with just one fight left on his deal.

The 35-year-old has lost his last four UFC outings and is 13-10-1 across his entire career.

However, what makes the decision perhaps even more brutal than the others is that just days before the UFC made the call to cut Morono, the welterweight made a passionate request to the MMA organisation on social media.

Alex Morono has been cut by the UFC. (Image: Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)

Posting on Instagram, Morono confirmed that he wanted to fight one last time and would love nothing more than to retire following a 'last dance' in the UFC.

"In a perfect world, my next fight will be my last. The UFC has been my home for the last decade. No where I’d rather fight. No where I’d rather retire. I’m confident and hopeful they’ll give me one last dance," he wrote.

"It’s been a hell of a career. Genuine thank you for all of the support over the years. Stay tuned for what’s next. Death or victory."

Less than 48 hours, it was confirmed that the UFC would not be giving the veteran his last dance, with it now likely that Morono will decide to hang up the gloves for good.