Spring has been a month of season for the UFC. Bringing in waves of new fighters to fill out summer cards, which inevitably means parting ways with a few fighters who have somewhat failed to live up to expectations. This is increasingly the case, as UFC.com has removed a slew of fighters from their active rosters. Two we already knew about, but three who’s release has yet to be officially reported. As always with this sort of roster adjustment news, reports come via UFCFIGHTERSiNFO on Twitter, which uses a ruby scrip to scrape the UFC website for back end changes. The release of these fighters has been confirmed by Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting.
[Deleted] Will Chope (Feather) [Deleted] Cristiano Marcello (Light) [Deleted] Rafaello Oliveira (Light) http://t.co/GeU9kLzLL9
— UFCFIGHTERSiNFO (@UFCFIGHTERSiNFO) April 16, 2014
[Deleted] Ronny Markes (Middle) [Deleted] Thiago Perpétuo (Welter) http://t.co/nZfB0ItmtA
— UFCFIGHTERSiNFO (@UFCFIGHTERSiNFO) April 16, 2014
Of course, Marcello just recently made his retirement official with a public announcement, following just a few months on the heels of his loss to Joe Proctor. And Will Chope’s release was nothing if not public, a somewhat shambolic affair played out only hours before his scheduled fight against Diego Brandao, when news of a prior domestic assault conviction became public.
Must Reads
The new news is the release of middleweight Ronny Markes, welterweight Thaigo Perpetuo, and lightweight Rafaello Oliveira. None of these are terribly surprising, considering that all three men lost their last two bouts. And in the case of Ronny Markes, his loss to massive underdog Thiago Santos, was not only quick and brutal, but coupled by a failure to make weight, from what those in his own camp described as a lack of careful preparation. If ever there’s a recipe for getting released from the UFC quickly, failing to make weight and losing badly are it.
For Perpetuo and Oliveira I could see a potential for reasonably quick returns in their future as late replacements on what are sure to be a constant stream of Brazilian cards. I would not, however, be surprised if Markes has a bit longer road back to the big show, not necessarily because of his missing weight, but as a fighter with a fairly unappetizing style, he’s not likely to be someone the UFC is eager to bring back into the fold. Stay tuned, as Bloody Elbow will be sure to keep you up to date with fighter signings and releases as they happen.
About the author
