It’s pink slip time again, and eight fighters ended up on the list. In this latest edition of the Cutting Room Floor, Bellator is the organization that’s been doing some spring cleaning. Typically, when we get a list of terminated employees, it comes from the UFC, as their roster is the largest, but with the growth of Bellator’s roster, they’ve also had to start weeding out those athletes that may need more time on the regional circuit.
The list, confirmed to Bloody Elbow by a representative of Bellator, is as follows:
Rafael Silva: Bellator record 3-2, coming off a loss / MMA record 22-5 / significant win: Robert Emerson
Antonio Duarte: Bellator record 0-1 / MMA record 18-6 / significant win: Ed West
Alejandro Villalobos: Bellator record 0-1 / MMA record 17-4 / significant win: Missael Silva de Souza
Jesse Juarez: Bellator record 3-2, coming off a loss / MMA record 22-10 / significant win: Robert Whittaker
Curtis Millender: Bellator record 0-2 / MMA record 7-2 / significant win: Dominic Waters
Razak Al- Hassan: Bellator record 0-1 / MMA record 12-5 / significant win: Rob Wince
Rameau Sokoudjou: Bellator record 2-1, coming off a loss / MMA record 16-13 / significant win: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Julio Cesar Neves: Bellator record 2-1, coming off a loss / MMA record 29-1 / significant win: Poppies Martinez
While this is undoubtedly bad news for those on the list, especially since Bellator is one of only three organizations that has a big television deal, it doesn’t always mean the situation is permanent. The UFC and virtually every other promotion in the community typically have a revolving door policy. In most cases, the athletes just need to get back on the regional circuit and put some much needed wins on their resumes.
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