Dana White cuts top-five ranked UFC fighter alongside three others in brutal decision

The UFC has released four fighters in a brutal wave of cuts just weeks before the biggest event in the organisation's history.

In the 33 years since the UFC was founded on November 12, 1993, the organisation has shown that it's not afraid to cut fighters regardless of who they are.

Despite being one of the most promising fighters in the men's bantamweight division, British fighter Mohamed Mokaev discovered this the hard way back in July 2024, when his contract was not renewed due to his behaviour outside of the octagon.

The most recent wave of cuts saw notable fighters such as former welterweight title contender Colby Covington leave the organisation after recently informing UFC officials of his decision to retire.

However, Covington wasn't the only noteworthy fighter to be cut from the UFC rankings, as Brazil's Ketlen Vieira has lost her spot in the UFC despite holding the spot of the No. 5-ranked women's bantamweight.

Vieira's departure from the UFC comes as a big surprise after she picked up her 10th win in the organisation, securing a decision over Jacqueline Cavalcanti on the undercard of the return of England's Arnold Allen.

The 34-year-old had been in the UFC for almost 10 years and has notable wins over Miesha Tate, Holly Holm and Cat Zingano.

Overall, she boasts a record 16 wins and five losses, with two of her three losses in the last five years coming to former bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington and current bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison.

Vieira joins list of fighters released from UFC

Alongside Viera, Ivan Erslan, Tuco Tokkos and Daniel Barez were also included in the latest cuts made by UFC President and CEO Dana White.

Like the women's bantamweight, the other three fighters included in the cut featured on the undercard of Allen's points featherweight win over Melquizael Costa.

Barez, 37, featured early in the card, losing to Luis Gurule via decision in their flyweight bout, making it just one win across four fights since joining the UFC in 2023.

Meanwhile, Erslan and Tokkos faced each other in the featured prelim, with Erslan picking up a decision win.

The win was the only time that Erslan had his hand raised following four fights in the UFC, making his debut in September 2024.

Tokkos also leaves the UFC with a 1-3 record.

Colby Covington one of two former title challengers released

Shortly before the announcement of the latest cuts, three-time welterweight title challenger Covington was a part of a separate wave of cuts.

The controversial American fighter informed UFC officials of his decision to retire, leading to his removal from the rankings alongside former women’s bantamweight title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva and New Zealander Brad Riddell.