Benito Lopez and Dalcha Lungiambula are the latest names to exit the promotion, with both dropped from the active roster in recent days. UFC Roster Watch, an automated service monitoring the UFC fighter database, was first to note the change.

Competing just last weekend at UFC 282, Dalcha Lungiambula (11-6) fell to Edmen Shabazyan, stopped by TKO in the second round. That marked the fourth consecutive loss for the fighter from the Republic of the Congo, dropping his record inside the octagon to 2-5 overall.

Lungiambula started his career at 9-1 and picked up a win over UFC alum Alan Baudot outside the promotion. He was then signed to the big show, winning his debut against Dequan Townsend in 2019 before falling to top light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev in his next fight.

That sent Lungiambula packing to middleweight, where he won his debut against Markus Perez before hitting the four-fight skid he currently finds himself on.

Lopez (10-2) last competed in November, where he was submitted by Mario Bautista. The Contender Series winner went 2-2 for the organization, which is often enough to see a contract renewed. However, missing weight in the Bautista fight likely didn’t help his cause.

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“It feels good to be back on the win column and end the year strong for sure,” Shahbazyan told Cageside Press among other media at his post-fight scrum.

Shahbazyan (12-3) relocated to Las Vegas after leaving Glendale Fighting Club and found his place at Xtreme Couture.

“I think definitely this time off has really, really helped me. 13 months off and I really tried to go and improve myself mentally, physically, technically, everywhere in the game and I’m glad I took that time off,” he said.

“Moving to Vegas, working with my coaches, Coach Jason (Manly), Coach Dewey Cooper, my brother Leon. The guys at Xtreme, coaches at Xtreme, I appreciate all of them and I’m just so thankful for everyone.”

After starting his UFC career with 4 straight victories Shahbazyan ran into three very tough opponents and and dropped three fights in a row.

“It’s never good to be on a losing streak, but I’m back to be back on the win column for sure.”

With this fight under his belt Shahbazyan is short on time to make another 2022 appearance so he’ll wait and see what happens next.

“I’m (going) to enjoy Christmas, my favorite holiday and then the New Year, and then we’ll see. Definitely next year I’ll try to be a little more active you know, being that I took 13 months off, but that 13 months off wasn’t just off. I was working and improving every day so we’ll see,” Shahbazyan said.

“Most likely trying to be active next year.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Edmen Shahbazyan above.

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Once a promising young star with an undefeated record, Shahbazyan’s stock has fallen a bit after losing three fights in a row and showing a major weakness in his cardio. His opponent at UFC 282, Lungiambula, represented a step down in competition from ranked middleweights Derek Brunson, Jack Hermansson, and Nassourdine Imavov, but the fighter from the Congo was still a challenge as a former light heavyweight with massive power.

The fight started with a feeling out process but Shahbazyan was looking sharp with his straight punches after a thirteen month layoff since his last fight. He was also not overexerting himself, perhaps looking to preserve his cardio if the fight went late. Meanwhile, Lungiambula was swinging wild hooks that mostly missed the target, but then he began to target the body of Edmen with round kicks due to the open stance matchup since he was southpaw and Edmen was orthodox. Dalcha surprisingly level-changed with two minutes left in the round but Shahbazyan was able to defend the takedown. With only thirteen seconds left in the round Lungiambula landed a big overhand that seemed to rock Shahbazyan, but he recovered and the round ended.

The second round saw Dalcha begin to have more success and land more strikes than the first round. Edmen seemed to be slowing down a bit but was still sharper and landing more often. Two minutes into the round Edmen ducked into a high kick from Lungiambula that seemed potentially fight ending but Shahbazyan ate it with just a slight wobble. The pace was slower after that, with Edmen dancing on the outside for long periods and stuffing another takedown from his foe. With one minute left in the round Shahbazyan suddenly landed a massive flying knee that dropped his opponent.

Dalcha went into survival mode and did everything possible to survive as Edmen swarmed him on the ground, but when Dalcha turned his back to turtle up the referee had to step in and stop it. Edmen Shahbazyan had snapped his three fight winning streak with a return to form, as most of his career wins have been knockouts.

Official Result: Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dalcha Lungiambula by TKO (strikes), Round 2, 4:41

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Shahbazyan (11-3) has been lined up to face Dalcha Lungiambula (11-5) at the PPV event on December 12, 2022. Eurosport was first to report the news, with Shahbazyan later confirming the match-up on social media.

We are back!!!! New team new city!! ITS GO TIME!!!! 🙏🏻💯 https://t.co/8WGMWUlyVS

— The Golden Boy (@edmenshahbazyan) August 24, 2022

Shahbazyan, who formerly trained at Glendale Fighting Club, where Ronda Rousey spent her career, recently made the move to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. That move comes after the highly touted prospect dropped three straight, against Derek Brunson, Jack Hermansson, and Nassourdine Imavov.

Now 24, the Contender Series product started his UFC run a perfect 4-0 before falling on hard times.

Lungiambula has also lost three straight fights, putting him in must-win territory as well. After a decision loss to Marc-Andre Barriault, he was submitted by Cody Brundage, and most recently knocked out by Punahele Soriano.

The Congolese fighter is 2-4 in the UFC overall.

UFC 282 will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 12, 2022, and is expected to be the final PPV of the year for the promotion. One other fight has been reported for the card in addition to Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Dalcha Lungiambula. That fight sees former welterweight champ Robbie Lawler take on Santiago Ponzinibbio.

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The explosive pair was positioned as the featured preliminary fight, with both looking to snap two-fight skids.

Before all was said and done, Puna Power made a reappearance in a fight that was every bit as incendiary as expected.

Both fighters took the center of the octagon after a touch of gloves. A high kick from Soriano opened up the fight. Both fighters exchanged big punches. Soriano shot for a takedown but was stuffed. A left hand from Soriano missed. A straight right Lungiambula backed Sorinao up. Lungiambula landed a calf kick that dropped Soriano, and Lungiambula went for a choke. After a couple of seconds, Lungiambula let Soriano back up. An uppercut from Lungiambula landed on his opponent’s body. Lungiambula landed another calf kick. Soriano landed a punch that rocked Lungiambula, which forced Lungiambula to shoot for a takedown successfully. Lungiambula landed a suplex, but Soriano got right back up. The round ended with Lungiambula clinched with Soriano.

As round two started, the commentary team pointed out that Lungiambula had a rib protruding. Lungiambula landed a body kick but was countered with a left hook from Soriano that put him down and then another right hand landed to finish him off.

Soriano snapped his two-fight losing streak with his knockout win over Lungiambula. And probably made a meme of himself with his post-fight celebration.

This guy's out of his mind #UFCLongIsland pic.twitter.com/3j2AN1D2MX

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 16, 2022

Official Result: Punahele Soriano def. Dalcha Lungiambula by knockout (punches), Round 2, 0:28

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In the case of Brundage, he’d fallen victim to Nick Maximov, in the Diaz bros. fighter’s promotional debut back in September. Lungiambula likewise was coming off a single loss, against Canadian Marc-Andre Barriault.

There was plenty of respect shown for both fighter’s power as things got underway on Saturday. Both men looked to find their range, and ultimately, Brundage shot for the takedown. Lungiambula would go down, but Brundage couldn’t do much with the position and instead ate at least one heavy blow that may have wobbled him.

After briefly returning to the feet, Brundage went back to a single leg. Lungiambula again wound up landing some hard punches while Brundage pursued the takedown attempt. But what looked like a rough night at the office for Cody Brundage was turned around a short time later.

Backed up the fence, Brundage was under heavy fire, but when Lungiambula opted to land a takedown of his own, an opening presented itself. Brundage trapped the neck, locking in a guillotine, and forcing the tap from Lungiambula! Quite the comeback win for Cody Brundage.

ANOTHER CRAZY COMEBACK TO START THE NIGHT 🤯

[ @CodyBrundage1 | #UFCVegas50 | Prelims are LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/zdoU70bnEE

— UFC (@ufc) March 12, 2022

Official Result: Cody Brundage def. Dalcha Lungiambula by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 3:41

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The match-up will see Cody Brundage (6-2) paired up with Dalcha Lungiambula (11-3), with both fighters coming off recent losses under the UFC banner. Iridium Sports Agency, who manages Brundage, was first to reveal the news.

Lungiambula later confirmed the match-up on social media.

Brundage entered the UFC as a short-notice replacement against Nick Maximov at UFC 266 earlier this year. The bout did not go his way, ending in a unanimous decision loss for the 27-year old Factory X fighter.

A veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series, Brundage came up short on the show in 2020, but a win on the regional circuit under the LFA banner was enough to get him the call to face Maximov.

Dalcha Lungiambula is 2-2 in the octagon to date, but has been facing some considerably stiff competition. A former EFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, “Dalcha Champion” had fought at both 205 and 185lbs since jumping to the UFC. He’s picked up wins over Dequan Townsend and Markus Perez, while losing to top 205’er Magomed Ankalaev, and another double-champ on the regional scene, Marc-Andre Barriault.

The UFC’s March 12, 2022 Fight Night card does not have a location, venue, or broadcast plan officially announced. The event currently consists of the following reported bouts:

Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev
Guido Cannetti vs. Kris Moutinho
Trevin Jones vs. Javid Basharat
Song Yadong vs. Marlon Moraes
Alex Pereira vs. Bruno Silva
Damon Jackson vs. Josh Culibao
Cody Brundage vs. Dalcha Lungiambula

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Kicking off an abbreviated nine-fight card at UFC Vegas 36 was a middleweight showdown between Canada’s Marc-Andre Barriault, and Congolese fighter Dalcha Lungiambula.

Barriault’s first win inside the octagon was a long time coming. After losing three straight, he appeared to have a W on the board, only for a TKO win Oskar Piechota to be overturned following a positive drug test for ostarine. Last time out, however, Barriault finished Abu Azaitar for his first official UFC win.

Lungiambula, for his part, was 2-1 in the octagon and coming off a win over Markus Perez.

Barriault immediately began jabbing once the fight started, attempting to keep the typically aggressive Lungiambula at bay out of the gate. After a few jabs, Lungiambula swung a pair of hooks that Barriault defended. They clinched briefly, then Lungiambula landed an overhand right. A right straight connected for Barriault followed by a short elbow. Lungiambula then shot for a takedown, got Barriault to the fence and tripped him to the floor. Barriault snapped back quickly and a big right straight connected for him. Lungiambula completed a second takedown, but Barriault stood back up and landed a right hand before the end of the round.

A big exchange took place right at the start of the second round as both men landed hooks. Barriault connected with a right straight after a left hand from Lungiambula. Lungiambula then caught a kick and briefly swept Barriault off his feet with a well-timed leg kick and a snapping body kick followed. Barriault continued to pressure Lungiambula along the fence, keeping punches in his face. Lungiambula dragged Barriault down, but Barriault popped up and both men landed shots along the fence. It became a test of wills as Lungiambula and Barriault bit down on their mouthpieces and delivered big shots. A kick below the belt hit Barriault and action paused briefly, then they got back to work, with Barriault keeping the pressure on to ride out the round.

It was more of the same, as Barriault continued to stick Lungiambula along the fence with his jab a bad eyepoke by Lungiambula forced a stop to the action and Barriault needed a few minutes to recover. Once he did, Barriault gave Lungiambula a diet of straight punches. Barriault didn’t let Lungiambula breathe, grabbing a Thai clinch and delivering uppercuts. Another clinch exchange took place as Lungiambula slowed down. Barriault had more left in the tank than Lungiambula and it showed as time ticked away and Barriault was landing punches at will.

Marc-Andre Barriault def. Dalcha Lungiambula by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)

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Middleweight action at UFC Fight Island 8 on Wednesday saw Dalcha Lungiambula and Markus Perez both looking to get back in the win column.

Perez, who was stepping in as a replacement for Isi Fitikefu, had lost two straight. Lungiambula, for his part, had dropped his last bout, to Magomed Ankalaev at light heavyweight — prompting the Congolese fighter to drop a weight class.

Lungiambula attempted to start quickly, firing a flurry of punches at Perez, who was forced to back against the cage. The punches kept coming until Lungiambula took Perez down. Perez attempted to guillotine Lungiambula and held the choke for a while, but Lungiambula was able to break free. The fighters returned to the feet and Lungiambula had the advantage with his speed landing another flurry and getting another takedown as Perez attempted a second guillotine. Again, it did not get anywhere. Lungiambula stood up and Perez fired a wheel kick out of desperation, but it soared over the head of Lungiambula.

The second round had a similar start to the first, with Lungiambula striking his way into a takedown and Perez countering with a submission attempt. This time it was a kimura. Lungiambula was content to stay on the ground this time after breaking free. He had an advantageous position and landed heavy elbows on Perez, cutting open his opponent’s forehead. Lungiambula ended the round on top.

Lungiambula did most of his work on the feet in the third round as Perez was the one initiating close-range exchanges and clinches in an attempt to get a takedown. Lungiambula stayed on his feet in spite of the effort from his opponent. The desperation grew but time was too short for anything significant to happen. With just 15 seconds remaining, a low blow paused the action. When they got back to it, Perez landed a wheel kick and Lungiambula stumbled into a takedown.

Dalcha Lungiambula def. Markus Perez by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

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MMA Island and MMA DNA’s Marcel Dorff were among the first to report that Fitikefu will face Dalcha Lungiambula at UFC Fight Island 8 on January 20.

Australia’s Fitikefu (6-0) is undefeated as a pro, and captured the Eternal MMA middleweight championship in 2019. With four finishes among his six wins, the teammate of Robert Whittaker will return to familiar territory at UFC Fight Island 8. He made the trip to Fight Island in Abu Dhabi alongside Whittaker at UFC 254, and hit the scales as a back-up fighter for Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba 2 — though ultimately his services were not required.

Dalcha Lungiambula (10-2) is 1-1 in his UFC career thus far. He debuted back at UFC on ESPN 3 in 2019, defeating Dequan Townsend to make a strong first impression with UFC fans. However, in his sophomore outing, he was paired up with Magomed Ankalaev, which turned out to be too much, too soon. Lungiambula was stopped via head kick in the third round of their bout at UFC Moscow.

Sitting out all of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic (two bouts with Karl Roberson were scrapped when Roberson tested positive for COVID-19), Lungiambula will look to get back to work, and in the win column, on January 20. The event is set to be headlined by Michael Chiesa taking on Neil Magny, following the postponement of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards.

The following fights are currently expected for the event:

Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Lerone Murphy
Francisco Figueiredo vs. Jerome Rivera
Roxanne Modafferi vs. Viviane Araújo
Matt Schnell vs. Tyson Nam
Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny
Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown
Mike Jackson vs. Dean Barry
Vinicius Moreira vs. Isaac Villanueva
Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera
Victoria Leonardo vs. Manon Fiorot
Dalcha Lungiambula vs. Isi Fitikefu
Mason Jones vs. Mike Davis

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