Dana White had high hopes for a Contender Series graduate who debuted inside the Octagon four years ago.
Over the past few days, one of the biggest names in the history of the sport called time on his career as Jon Jones retired following months of speculation.
While there has been plenty of fallout in the aftermath, with Tom Aspinall’s father criticizing the UFC for the way they announced the news, another retirement has been far more cut and dry.
Dana White’s Contender Series has been a huge part of the UFC’s structure ever since the first season kicked off in 2017.
One of the contestants of season 4, who White spoke highly of when awarding her a contract, has now announced that she’s walking away from the sport at 30 years old.
Cheyanna Vlismas announces her retirement after being tipped for ‘big things’ by Dana White
Cheyanne Vlismas, formerly Cheyanne Buys, arrived on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020 with a pro record of 4-1, having only made her pro debut two years prior.
The strawweight competitor earned a contract on week 3 of season 4 before going on to compete inside the Octagon on 4 occasions, going 2-2.
Her final UFC fight came in December of 2022 where she lost a unanimous decision to Cory McKenna at the UFC Apex.
Having admitted in an interview with MMA Fighting after her Contender Series appearance that she had spent years messaging Dana White on social media and telling him that she’d be a star for the UFC, this is what the boss had to say about her when signing Vlismas to the UFC.
“I mean, what do I say about Cheyanne. What don’t I say about Cheyanne. Her striking is unbelievable, her ground is awesome, she’s mean and nasty. She’s cocky, she’s 5-1, she’s young. She’s not even in her prime yet, she’s a baby still.
“I like her very, very much and I think, as she gets over here again, another person we get into the PI. She starts training, we get her some fights. I expect big things for Cheyanne in the future.”
Vlismas announced her retirement on Instagram, stating that the birth of her second child has led to this decision.
The 30-year-old stated that while she still loves fighting, her kids are her priority and she doesn’t believe that she would be able to leave them in order to dedicate herself to a training camp.
Dana White previously shut down Cheyanne Vlismas’ comments on fighter pay
Following her first win inside the Octagon at UFC Vegas 33, an emotional Cheyanne Vlismas reacted to receiving a performance of the night bonus for her TKO finish over Gloria de Paula.
She spoke about being in a difficult financial spot following a loss on her UFC debut, but when Dana White was asked to respond to these comments, the UFC CEO said that this is simply a part of the sport.
“There’s a lot of people on their way up who are broke, struggling, trying to make it. The flip side to that is she’s 1-1 in the UFC and made 80 grand in the last six months. This is one of those sports you’ve got to win. If you win, everything’s good. If you lose, everything’s bad. That’s the nature of this beast.”
Vlismas ends her pro career with an overall record of 7-3, having earned two post-fight bonuses during her short stint in the UFC.