UFC News: Promotion lets go of Zak Ottow and dozen more fighters; one announces retirement

UFC has cut its roster down by nearly a dozen fighters as the year draws to an end.

According to a report by MMA Junkie, ten fighters were released from the promotion or their contracts were not extended when they were over and UFC lost one more as the fighter announced his retirement last month.

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Fighters who left UFC

Heavyweight fighter Allen Crowder made it clear in an interview with BJPenn.com in November, that he was not released from the promotion. It was his decision to step away from the Octagon owing to his lingering memory issues caused by concussions. His three-fight career at UFC was marked by two knockout losses against Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Justin Willis and one win by illegal knee disqualification over Greg Hardy.

Welterweights Rostem Akman, Zak Ottow and Sergio Moraes, Lightweights Te Edwards, Jason Gonzalez, Kurt Holobaugh, Darrel Horcher and Allan Zuniga, and Bantamweight Boston Salmon were let go by UFC. Flyweight Lauren Mueller was the only woman on the list.

While most of them had impressive pre-UFC records, they could not repeat the same success stories after being signed by the promotion. While some of them got 2-3 chances, some had more. Zak Ottow competed 8 times under UFC, with 4 wins and an equal number of losses to show.

For some others, like Boston Salmon, who suffered a knee injury ahead of his UFC debut and got delayed for the same by 18 months, it was just bad luck. He dropped two outings after that, both by first-round KO.