by LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 6: UFC President Dana White (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty … [+]
Losing at UFC Vegas 99 was like the kiss of death.
The change continues at the lower levels of the UFC roster, and the losers of this card will continue to receive their walking papers.
On Tuesday, October 29, the promotion said goodbye to eight fighters, and five of them lost at the UFC’s Apex on October 19, according to Roster Tracker.
Including Jake Hadley, who was not re-signed after losing a fight he favored against a short-notice opponent, six fighters who lost at that event are no longer with the UFC.
The names of the released fighters were more significant this time, as the promotion severed contact with No. 9 ranked Matheus Nicolau.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 27: Alex Perez reacts after his knockout win over Matheus Nicolau … [+]
The 31-year-old Brazilian has lost three fights in a row, but the losses come against solid competition. Nicolau was knocked out by number 1 contender Brandon Royval in April 2023. He lost by knockout to Alex Perez, who is currently ranked sixth, although the victory ended a losing streak.
Most recently, Nicolau lost a unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 99 to strong seventh-ranked Asu Almabayev. This streak is far from ideal, but it doesn’t seem like a blip worth releasing or not re-signing.
Here’s a look at the fighters who were cut from the UFC’s roster on October 29th.
Robelis Despaigne
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – MAY 11: Waldo Cortes-Acosta of the Dominican Republic (above) beats Robelis … [+]
Robelis Despaigne, the outstanding Cuban Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo, was not suitable for the trip. The 37-year-old Despaigne went 1-2 in the UFC in his three-fight stint with the promotion.
He scored an 18-second knockout victory over Josh Parisian in his promotional debut in March 2024. Nevertheless, Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane easily defeated him by unanimous decision in his last two fights. The loss to Lane occurred ten days before his release, and the deciding factor was the same in both defeats.
Despaigne has no ground game and proved incapable of defending takedowns at the highest level of competition. He could try to continue his development outside of the UFC in hopes of returning later, but as he turns 40, it may be due to too little grappling training, too late in his life.
Jessica Penne
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (RL) Elise Reed beats Jessica Penne in a strawweight bout … [+]
Penne, 41, is on a three-fight losing streak. She hasn’t won a fight in more than four years. While she’s something of a pioneer and one of the people who helped legitimize women’s MMA, it feels like the end of the road.
As I watched Penne lose a unanimous decision to Elise Reed at UFC Vegas 99, I realized that she’s tougher than good at this point, and that’s a dangerous place for a female martial artist.
Tamires Vidal
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (LR) Joselyne Edwards of Panama hits Tamires Vidal of Brazil … [+]
The 26-year-old Brazilian is another fighter on a three-fight losing streak. Her one-sided loss to Joselyne Edwards at (you guessed it) UFC Vegas 99 was most telling.
While Edwards lost an incredible three pounds in weight, Vidal was inferior in every aspect of the sport. Vidal didn’t look like she belonged in the UFC, and that’s a bad look when you’re on a three-fight losing streak.
Vinicius Salvador
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – MARCH 25: Vinicius Salvador sits in his corner after a round against Victor … [+]
Even though Salvador hadn’t fought since May, he still had something in common with most of the other fighters on this dubious list. Salvador’s latest defeat snapped a three-fight losing streak. As a pro, he is 14-7.
Daniel Pineda
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: Daniel Pineda reacts between rounds in a featherweight bout against … [+]
Pineda’s situation is different than the others. Yes, he too is on a three-fight losing streak and was unable to pick up a win at UFC Vegas 99, dropping a split decision to Darren Elkins.
However, Pineda, a 45-fight MMA veteran, announced his retirement from the Octagon following the loss. He made a Fight of the Night appearance.
Charalampos Grigoriou
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 16: (RL) Chad Anheliger of Canada beats Charalampos Grigoriou of Cyprus … [+]
How crazy is MMA?
Grigoriou earned a UFC contract on the Dana White Contender Series when he scored a 60-second knockout of Cameron Smotherman on Season 7 of the show. Grigoriou lost both fights with the promotion to the main roster and is released with a group of fighters who also lost on a card where Smotherman defeated Hadley, prompting his separation from the UFC.
Jesse Butler
LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 3: Jesse Butler suffers a major knockout at the hands of Jim Miller … [+]
It was a tough two fights for Butler in the UFC. In his promotional debut, Butler was knocked out by Jim Miller in 23 seconds. In his next fight, Butler lost a unanimous decision to Brad Katona in June.
Butler is now 32 years old and is 12-6 years old as a pro. Like everyone else on this list, he has some decisions to make regarding his career.
