A trio of fighters at very different stages of their respective careers have been shown the door by the UFC.
Bethe Correia, Evan Dunham, and Max Rohskopf were all handed pink slips by the world’s largest MMA promotion this week. A former title challenger, a longtime promotional mainstay, and a green rookie comprise the trio. With some cuts being more surprising than others.
Correia and Dunham’s releases were first reported by MMA Fighting. Brazil’s Correia (11-5-1) went on a three-fight win streak in the octagon from 2013 to 2014 in order to earn a shot at then champ Ronda Rousey. Impressive as the streak was — Correia was 9-0 in her career by that point — who she chose to pick off was a stroke of brilliance. Correira defeated both Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, two of Rousey’s “Four Horsewomen” (the other, Marina Shafir, has never fought in the UFC).
The end result was Correia biting off more than she could chew. She was knocked out by Rousey at UFC 190 just 34 seconds into the first round. From there, she’d go 2-5-1 in her remaining eight fights with the promotion, earning wins over Jessica Eye and Sijara Eubanks, and being posterized by Holly Holm. Her most recent fight was a loss to Pannie Kianzad.
Prospect Max Rohskopf’s UFC debut will likely go down in infamy, after he stepped up on short notice to face Austin Hubbard at UFC Vegas 3 earlier this year. However, after winning the first round, Rohskopf was pieced up in the second, and quit on the stool prior to the third, while coach Robert Drysdale urged him to continue.
Rohskopf had been 5-0 prior to the loss. MMA Fighting was also first to report news of that release.
Dunham (18-9-1) returned from a brief retirement at UFC 250, only to lose via submission to Herbert Burns. Dunham, who joined the UFC at UFC 95 in 2009, finished his tenure on a three-fight skid. He finishes at 11-9-1 inside the octagon.
