The UFC did a lot of house cleaning in February, and a few more names are now out of the promotion this month.
Among the most notable, heavyweight Greg Hardy, who previously confirmed his exit from the company on social media. Hardy’s inclusion on the UFC roster was a heated point of contention for many, given allegations of domestic violence had derailed his NFL career, including a conviction that was later dropped on appeal.
Hardy (7-5, 1NC) found some success early in his UFC run, which he earned after picking up a developmental deal on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018 (Hardy in fact appeared twice on the show that season). He posted a 4-2, 1NC record through his first seven fights, with losses to Allen Crowder (DQ) and Alexander Volkov — long a contender in the heavyweight division.
His last three fights saw the Greg Hardy MMA experiment come to an end, at least for now. Stoppage losses to Marcin Tybura, Tai Tuivasa, and Sergey Spivak saw Hardy with little answer to even slight steps up in competition.
In a brief statement on social media, Hardy wrote “What a run, ya boy is far from done just got some fine tuning to do. Thank you to all my fans and haters. I appreciate you all. Mostly I appreciate my coaches, family, and the UFC for giving me the opportunity to shine bright.”
Also gone from the roster is Davi Ramos (10-4), who requested his release after what he said was years of not being offered a fight. Ramos last competed in 2020, and has lost his last two bouts, to Islam Makhachev and Armen Tsarukyan. Ramo’s request to be released/departure was first reported by MMA Fighting.
“The Colombian Queen” Sabina Mazo (9-4) has also been shown the door. Mazo competed just last weekend at UFC Vegas 50, dropping her third straight fight, this time against fellow prospect Miranda Maverick.
UFC Roster Watch, an automated service on Twitter that monitors the UFC roster, noted the removal of Mazo from the fighter database on Wednesday. It also listed the removal of Jared Gooden (19-7), whose contract expired in January. He has since competed and won for Jorge Masvidal’s iKon FC.
Earlier this month, the UFC removed Teemu Packalen (8-3) and Irwin Rivera (11-6) from their roster. Packalen had announced his retirement in November, while Rivera, who was arrested on charges of attempted murder involving his sisters last year, but found not guilty by reason of insanity, recently fought for Eagle FC.
