In moves first noted by UFC Roster Tracker, an automated service that monitor’s the promotion’s fighter database, names including Ovince Saint Preux, Ricky Glenn, and fan favorite Brian Kelleher appear to have been removed.

While this generally indicates a fighter is no longer with the promotion, it does not necessarily mean they were cut. Saint Preux, for example, was known to be on the last fight of his UFC contract at UFC 307 last weekend, when he was submitted by Ryan Spann. Still, at 41 and 2-2 in his last four (not to mention coming off a loss), OSP is likely to land elsewhere if he continues fighting.

Jarno Errens, also among the names removed, had previously suggested he might retire if the UFC declined to re-sign him. He went 1-3 for the company, most recently losing to Youssef Zalal at UFC Paris.

From October 7 to October 10, the following names were removed from the UFC’s athlete database:

• Herbert Burns
• Brian Kelleher
• Ricky Glenn
• Jarno Errens
• Danyelle Wolf
• Victoria Leonardo
• Brianna Fortino
• Kay Kruschewsky
• Da Woon Jung
• Victor Altamirano
• Karl Williams
• Ovince Saint Preux
• Kleydson Rodrigues
• Blake Bilder
• TJ Brown
• Jarjis Danho
• Yanis Ghemmouri
• Christos Giagos

These join Alexander Munoz (who requested his spot be given to someone else after struggling with injuries) and Luis Pajuelo (cut after failing a drug test), who exited the company earlier this month.

One of the biggest surprises is Karl Williams, a 3-1 heavyweight coming off a lone loss who was presumably not re-signed. Williams, a well-spoken athlete with considerable upside, saw all his fights go the distance, which might be the culprit in this case.

As for boxer Danyelle Wolf, who signed with the company as a featherweight, the UFC no longer even offers her weight class. At 41 and having not fought since September 2022, it’s likely her MMA career has come to an end after just two fights, one on the Contender Series, and one in a losing effort opposite Norma Dumont, now a bantamweight contender.

The post Over 15 Fighters Including Kelleher, Glenn, and OSP Off UFC Roster appeared first on Cageside Press.

Lee entered off a seven-fight win streak, while Bilder, a former CFFC champ, was 1-1 inside the octagon through his first two fights with the company.

To begin the fight Lee looked to impose his height and reach on Bilder as he put on instant forward pressure, making Bilder fight on the back foot. A minute into the fight, not much action had been had, as the only strikes landed were leg kicks from both featherweights. Bilder began throwing some boxing combinations with a double jab, followed by a right hand. Lee did well to return a big right hand though which resulted in a level change by Bilder. “El Animal” had a single leg attempt on Lee but with his back to the cage, Lee began landing huge elbows which momentarily dropped Bilder to his knees.

Bilder clung onto the legs of Lee for the majority of the round, but with about 30 seconds left of the round, Lee broke away from the clinch and landed a huge knee on the break. The 33-year-old wobbled and covered up as Lee pushed forward with a barrage of body shots. Fortunately for Bilder, the horn sounded for the end of round one.

Coming out in round two, Blake Bilder seemed to have recovered well and was moving freely again. Lee though looked fluid with his striking and movement and didn’t seem phased by Bilder’s boxing. Just over a minute into the second round, Bilder once again attempted a takedown, but Lee did well to instantly gain control with the under-hooks. After another minute or so of Bilder trying to better his position, Lee did a tremendous job of scoring a takedown with an outside trip, and maintained top control well. “The Korean Tiger” wasn’t content with just maintaining top pressure though as he began landing some big shots from the top, mixing between elbows and punches. Bilder did extremely well to somehow make it back to his feet, and when they both returned to their feet, Lee looked slightly fatigued.

The fight made it to the final round with Bilder down two rounds to the impressive Lee. Bilder continued to look for a takedown though instead of hunting for a finish and seemed content controlling Lee against the cage. Lee reversed the position against the cage though and Bilder looked even less likely to get the finish he needed. The 28-year-old scored another takedown resulting in Bilder laying flat on his back, looking to once again somehow make it back to his feet. Lee did well to transition to half-guard where he continued to lands some heavy elbows. The fight ended with Lee on top, reigning down ground-and-pound on the passive Bilder.

Official Result: Jeong Yeong Lee def. Blake Bilder via Unanimous Decision, (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 

The post UFC Vegas 85: Jeong Yeong Lee Continues Impressive Run, Dominates Blake Bilder Over Three Rounds appeared first on Cageside Press.

After losing a tough bout to wily veteran Kyle Nelson, Blake Bilder spoke about what it felt like to walk away without the ‘W’. He also shared a bit about what he felt he needed to change as he began to prep for UFC Vegas 85.

“You know what? It was unfortunate. There were times in that fight when I could have won,” he said. “But for me it just showed, hey, I have areas I need to work on. I’m at the highest level that you can be at. I’m proud of myself for getting to this level and I’m looking forward to what comes next.”

But despite getting a result he hadn’t wanted, he’s done dwelling on the past. Instead, he’s focused on making sure he uses it to build the best version of himself.

“I’m not sitting around beating myself up over something that’s already happened,” Bilder stressed. “I’m just seeing where I made mistakes and moving forward from it.”

Bilder wasn’t shy about sharing what some of those mistakes were. Among them were some issues with gameplanning and execution, but others were surrounding lifestyle choices.

“We have really good jiu jitsu. However, the wrestling needed to be a little bit more fluid. We needed more work in being more active. We needed to button up the discipline of the diet,” he explained. “The nutrition was good, but it wasn’t great. Little things like that add up.”

Now will all that squared away, he’s zeroed in on getting back on the right side of the fight. In doing so, he’s remembering what the most important part of this all is.

“The number one thing is always enjoying yourself, having fun, and enjoying the journey,” Bilder said. “So very few get to do this and so very few get to do this for a long time.”

You can catch the new and improved Blake Bilder as he fights Jeong Yeong Lee on the prelims of UFC Vegas 85. Those fights start at 4pm EST on ESPN+.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 2:17.

The post UFC Vegas 85’s Blake Bilder: Tightening Up, Enjoying the Journey appeared first on Cageside Press.

Blake Bilder Interview (2:17)

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC featherweight, Blake Bilder. Bilder discusses what it’s like to be coming off of his first loss in his fighting career – pro or amateur. He shares what he feels like he learned from the experience. Then he turns his attention to UFC Vegas 85, where he fights Jeong Yeong Lee. He talks about how he feels about that matchup, but also shares his thoughts on the venue as well. It’ll be his first UFC fight in the Apex, and will be his first time back there since the Contender Series.

Combat Countdown: Top 5 Canadian Prospects to Sign (18:15)

With a week before UFC Vegas 85 and Blake Bilder’s fight, we brought back the Combat Countdown.

Following their poor showing at UFC 297, we discussed what comes next for Canadians in the UFC. Is there a next big star? Do they have any threats to the top 5 of a division. The future looks like promising after the weekend’s results, so we take a look at some possible reinforcements. We counted down five fighters who we think should get signed by the UFC right away and who could likely make the most noise. The list contains everything from heavyweights to flyweights – so tune in. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Bruna Brasil Interview (24:09)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC flyweight, Bruna Brasil. With the help of Caio Borralho with the translation work, we discuss everything leading up to her fight at UFC Vegas 86 (the card after Bilder’s). Coming off of her very first win in the octagon, Brasil will square off with Loma Lookboonme in effort to make it two straight. She also shared her thoughts on her team the Fighting Nerds and the feelings she got seeing so many signed to the UFC. Then, she gives her thoughts on which women from the team might be next up.

The post TTP Ep. 413 with Blake Bilder, Bruna Brasil, and Top 5 Canadian Prospects appeared first on Cageside Press.

Prior to 289 Nelson had been 1-3-1 in his last five fights, but the victory over Bilder is something the Canadian product hopes will be the start of a good run.

“I didn’t necessarily feel…..I didn’t feel that. Against Doo Ho Choi, in my mind, I felt like I won. In England I felt like I won (against Jai Herbert),” Nelson told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“I felt confident in myself and my performances. I knew it was going to be minor changes to change that draw to a victory. So I wasn’t too concerned about it.”

The focus on the small changes came through against Bilder who suffered his first career loss against Nelson.

“I was going to go in, it was going to be me and Blake tonight, and I was excited to be here in Canada,” he said.

“But I was going to go in. I was going to do everything Ive been trained for as if nothing else mattered.”

Taking the undefeated record if Bilder’s is the cherry on top of the Sunday that was the victory for Nelson.

“I think that helps me steal his hype. He had a lot of fans he had a lot of hype. You know some people might say he’s a good looking dude. He’s going in there so I’m trying to steal everything from him,” he told Cageside Press.

“I can’t take the hair, but I can take everything else. I’m glad I can take his first loss.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Kyle Nelson above.

The post Kyle Nelson Made Small Changes That Paid Off Big At UFC 289, Stole Hype From Bilder appeared first on Cageside Press.

In addition to having a great in-octagon experience, Bilder also got to see a bit of the world that was brand new to him. Both before and after the fight he spent some time in the land down under.

“We had a couple days where we got to hang out and experience Australia. We also went a little bit earlier than we were supposed to, just so we could get acclimated,” Bilder said. “Then we stayed a couple days afterwards, went to the mall, met some people and went out with them.”

However, it wasn’t all roses for Bilder. While experiencing the local cuisine and checking out some watering holes, Bilder was shown the door.

“I got kicked out of a restaurant actually for having a face tattoo,” he recalled in reference to the small cross tattoo he has just to the left of his left eye. “We were eating at this one place over by the beach and we’re thristy – like ‘oh, man it would be nice to get some beverages.”

After signing some autographs for a table nearby, he headed in to the restaurant to attempt to get the drinks.

“I’m heading inside because we haven’t got out drinks yet, thinking maybe you just have to go ask for it. I walk in and the guy is like ‘Oy, mate, terribly sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Bilder said. “I was like ‘well, I think my coach just wanted a lemonade, my friend Lou wanted an orange juice, and I’ll take a coffee’. And he’s not saying anything.”

After getting no response, he started to realize it was not a joke. He not only was not going to get a drink, but was going to have to leave the premise

“He says ‘I’m terribly sorry, but we had a complaint from one of the customers – we had a terrible problem with bikies around here – and your face tattoo, we just can’t have that,” he said in reference to issues the area has had with bikers. “Oh, my gosh, he’s serious!”

Bilder took it in stride though with no hard feelings. In addition to noting that it was just a cultural thing, he took solace in knowing that other famous people have dealt with a similar issues.

“It’s an Australian thing, I guess Post Malone got kicked out of a few places as well,” he said with a laugh.

Bilder hopes to run into less trouble as he heads up to Canada for UFC 289. He’ll take on another hometown fighter in Kyle Nelson. That fight takes place on the ESPN+ prelims beginning at 8pm this Saturday.

The entire audio of this interview can be heard below at 2:19.

The post UFC 289’s Blake Bilder Recounts Being Thrown Out of Aussie Restaurant appeared first on Cageside Press.

Blake Bilder Interview (2:19)

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC featherweight, Blake Bilder. Bilder talks about his love for live crowds and how he feeds off any energy that they’ll give him. He also discusses what it was like to walk into Australia and beat their hometown kid. Plus, he shares the hilarious story of being thrown out of a restaurant while he was down under and how that puts him in rare company with Post Malone. Then he’s breaking down his upcoming fight at UFC 289 with Kyle Nelson.

Fights, Dogs, and Parlays: UFC 289 (16:56)

The UFC returns with a live crowd this weekend for UFC 289 in Vancouver, Canada. Amanda Nunes, the double champion, is back at it and defending her bantamweight title against Mexican contender Irene Aldana. We’re going to break down that fight as well as two other fights on this card as part of ‘Fights, Dogs, and Parlays’. Plus, as the name would suggest, we’re also going to give you an underdog and a parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. Don’t miss these picks because they’ve been red-hot this year. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Adam Fugitt Interview (31:07)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC welterweight, Adam Fugitt. Fugitt discusses seemingly becoming the guy that the UFC throws to their highly touted prospects. Last time out, he played spoiler against Yusaku Kinoshita and he looks forward to doing it again at UFC 289. This Saturday, he’ll face off with Mike Mallott, who has gained quite the fan fare in Canada since graduating from the Contender Series. Fugitt not only discusses that fight, but also shares his aspiration to shed the title of ‘the prospect tester’ and instead be a test for everyone in the welterweight division.

The post TTP Ep. 381 with Blake Bilder, Adam Fugitt, and UFC 289 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kyle Nelson (13-5-1), originally from Huntsville and fighting out of Stoney Creek, Ontario, will face Blake Bilder (8-0-1) at the June PPV event.

Iridium Sports Agency, who represent Bilder, recently announced the news. Though no official location for the show has been announced, rumors have circulated that the card will mark the promotion’s return to Canada.

Though Bilder initially announced that the fight would take place in Calgary, Nelson later posted that no location had been set. Cageside Press previously confirmed that contracts for some of the first-reported bouts for UFC 289 were issued with TBD for location; Vancouver and Calgary were both among the cities in the running, per multiple sources.

Where ever the card lands, Canada or not, there will be a strong Canadian contingent: Jasmine Jasudavicius, Marc-Andre Barriault, and Nelson have all been reported for the event, as well as Diana Belbita, a Romanian training out of Stoney Creek’s House of Champions MMA alongside Nelson.

“The Monster” is coming off a majority draw against Doo-Ho Choi, and is in must-win territory after posting a 1-4-1 record inside the octagon. Bilder, a former CFFC champ, won his way into the promotion on Dana White’s Contender Series last year, and defeated Shane Young at UFC 284 earlier this year.

While the location is still up in the air, UFC 289 currently has the following fights reported for it:

• Miranda Maverick vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
• Eryk Anders vs. Marc-André Barriault
• Diana Belbiţă vs. Maria Oliveira
• Blake Bilder vs. Kyle Nelson
• Matt Schnell vs. David Dvořák
• Dan Ige vs. Nate Landwehr

The post Kyle Nelson vs. Blake Bilder Booked for June’s UFC 289 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bilder was up against the returning Shane Young, fighting at home and competing for the first time since March 2021.

There was a lot of movement from Bilder to start the fight. Young was cutting him off and throwing his jab at the beginning. Both fighters were low on action early, but they were trading kicks and going shot for shot. Finally, something happened at the two-minute mark with Bilder getting a nice double-leg takedown. Bilder landed some good ground and pound from there. With seconds left in the round Young did get back to his feet but couldn’t get any offense off.

In round two, Bilder opened up the round with a left hook to a heavy outside leg kick. Young did stop a takedown but Bilder was getting the better of him on the feet. Bilder wasn’t getting the takedowns but was mixing his striking in with takedown attempts. Young did land some right hands getting Bilder to back up. The round ended with a failed takedown from Bilder.

It was a close fight going into the final five minutes. After the first takedown Bilder landed, he wasn’t able to get Young back down. Bilder was still landing well on the feet however, and was being more active than Young. It was Bilder who looked tired going into round three but he was pushing the pace. He kept crashing forward with wide hooks and Young wasn’t defending properly. In the final seconds Bilder landed a right hand and defended a takedown from Young.

Come the scorecards, all three judges had it for newcomer Blake Bilder.

Bilder makes good on the UFC debut!@BlakeTheBilder takes the unanimous decision over Shane Young at #UFC284 👏 pic.twitter.com/zKwx5ZFPZ1

— UFC (@ufc) February 12, 2023

Official Result: Blake Bilder def. Shane Young by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

The post UFC 284: Blake Bilder Makes Successful Debut Against Shane Young appeared first on Cageside Press.

Blake Bilder on the other hand, is still waiting for his debut, which will finally come this weekend at UFC 284. Despite coming out of his August bout unscathed, he’s waited half a year to get back in there. However, that time off has been anything but for Bilder and that’s something UFC featherweights should be worried about.

“It’s never a lyaoff for me. I’m constantly and continuously improving and getting better every day. It’s actually worse and worse for everybody else in our division because I’m getting that much better,” Bilder explained. “I do not take days off. I don’t relax. I don’t chill. I’m obsessed and this is all I think about.”

He credits this mentality as to why he’s still making such huge gains in the MMA world despite being at it for more than a decade. It’s not a hard mentality for him to keep – in fact it’s been in him from the very beginning.

“I’m an outlier, man. It’s always what I was meant to be. Since I was a kid, watching WWF -Shawn Michaels ‘The Heartbreak Kid’, Mick Foley, Hulk Hogan, ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage – guys that are larger than life,” he said. “They’re under the spotlight, long hair, in the cage, going for the belt, putting on a show, talking to the crowd. This is what I was destined and born to do.”

And he’ll finally get the opportunity to do all of those things at UFC 284 when he faces local Shane Young. While he knows the crowd will be behind Young (to start), he’s ready to put on a show for everyone there and at home.

“Just devestate. Get the popcorn, get your tickets ready, make sure you got your glasses wiped off clean becuase you’re not gonna want to blink this whole time,” Bilder declared.

His bout with Shane Young will take place on the preliminary card of UFC 284 this Saturday on ESPN+.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview below at 1:56.

The post UFC 284’s Blake Bilder: I Don’t Chill appeared first on Cageside Press.