Kay Hansen Exits UFC After Four Fight Stint: “22 Years Young. My Career Is Just Getting Started”

Kay Hansen UFC
Kay Hansen, UFC 270 official weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press

Just days after a decision loss to Piera Rodriguez at UFC 273, strawweight Kay Hansen has been removed from the UFC roster.

Automated service UFC Roster Watch first noted the news on Wednesday. A short time later, Hansen posted a brief comment on her verified social media, apparently in reference to the move. “22 years young. My career is just getting started,” it read.

Hansen (7-6) had a short but tumultuous run with the UFC, joining the promotion after rising to prominence as a teenager in Invicta FC. After picking up a win in her octagon debut over fellow Invicta vet Jinh Yu Frey, Hansen would drop three straight.

All three losses would come against debuting fighters, in Cory McKenna, Jasmine Jasudavicius, and finally Rodriguez. All three would see her go the distance, only to lose unanimous decisions in all cases.

Hansen’s career started much differently, with the then-teenager posting a 6-3 record, and picking up an additional win in the Invicta Phoenix Series 2 tournament in 2019 (officially an exhibition bout). Her first five wins all came by finish, as did her lone UFC victory against Frey.

Her UFC run saw Hansen draw a fair amount of criticism, primarily for her decision to launch an explicit Only Fans page. Hansen also missed weight for the fight with Rodriguez, but at 22, there should be plenty of opportunities to bounce back.