Bryan Battle’s world was turned upside down just a few weeks ago, but he’s landed on his feet.
Battle (12-2, 1NC) was bounced from the UFC after missing weight for a fight with Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC 319 on August 16. That weight miss, which led to the bout’s cancellation, was the second straight for Battle, at two different weight classes (welterweight and middleweight), not to mention his third overall as a UFC fighter.
After being cut by the promotion just days later, Battle took a fight with Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing Championship, defeating Derik de Freitas by TKO in just under a minute. Now, The Ultimate Fighter 29 winner has signed on with the PFL, the UFC’s main rival these days.
PFL officials announced the signing on Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, Battle was listed as a middleweight in the graphic the PFL ran with to announce Battle’s arrival.
The announcement also quoted Battle, adding “ya know what I’m saying?” – which has become something of a catchphrase for the TUF champ, given how often he says it during media appearances.
While Battle has struggled with his weight, he’s found nothing but success inside the cage, winning four of his last five trips to the octagon (the remaining bout wound up being a No Contest due to an accidental eye poke).
