UFC Release 14 Fighters

UFC Release 14 Fighters 

By Jon Prentice

It was revealed this week that the UFC has had another of its regular roster trims, with several fan favourites and veterans amongst the promotion heading into free agency.

As quickly as the UFC adds to its roster through the likes of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, The Ultimate Fighter and Dana White’s Lookin’ For A Fight, fighters must make way in order to accommodate those newcomers. The names of 14 fighters were given who will no longer be plying their trade with the promotion.

Included in those 14 are fan favourite Tom Lawlor and UFC veteran Gleison Tibau.

Lawlor (10-6, 6-5UFC) has been released from the UFC having served almost 10 years in the promotion. A veteran of The Ultimate Fighter 8, light heavyweight Lawler was currently serving a two-year USADA suspension for a failed drugs test having tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine. The timing of his release is a little strange given the fact that Lawlor was 22-months into his two-year suspension and had requested his release on a number of occasions whilst suspended.

Lawlor has been competing in pro wrestling whilst he served his suspension, however the plan was to return to the octagon once his suspension came to an end on October 10th.

“All things come to an end and it was inevitable that so would my time in the UFC” Lawlor told MMA Fighting. “While the timing is unexpected, hopefully this opens the doors for me to continue with my mixed martial arts career as well as in the squared circle (wrestling)”.

It is unclear at present where the future lies for the 35-year-old.

Gleison Tibau, (32-14, 16-12 UFC) also 35, has been released from the promotion just two fights short of 30 fights with the organisation. Making his debut in 2006 at UFC 67 against Nick Diaz, Tibau went on to win 16 fights over a 12-year span, which included victories over the likes of Jeremy Stephens, Kurt Pellegrino, Caol Uno, Rafael Dos Anjos and Francisco Trinaldo. However, he is currently riding a 4-fight losing streak dating back to February 2015.

Tibau also had his issues with USADA, picking up a two-year suspension following a failed drugs test after his fight with Abel Trujillo in November 2015. He in fact won the fight against Trujillo however this was overturned to a loss following the failed test, with Tibau subsequently not returning until January 2018. Successive losses this year against Islam Makhachev and Des Green lead to Tibau’s release from the promotion.

Others included in the list that may feel a little hard done by are Damien Brown (2-4 UFC), who despite not having a great record for the promotion always put on fantastic battles, as well as Eric Spicely (UFC 2-4 UFC) who failed to go to the distance, whether win or lose, in his six fight UFC stint.

The full list of fighters released is as follows:

Tom Lawlor
Gleison Tibau
Damien Brown
Eric Spicely
Diego Rivas
Albert Morales
Mike Santiago
Rob Wilkinson
James Bochnovic
Magnis Cedenblad
Oliver Enkamp
Marcel Fortuna
Vitor Miranda
Damian Grabowski