Insiders’ Scoop: Nine UFC departures that went unnoticed, UFC 262 plans, and more
Before we get into the crux of what you all showed up for – news – we want to re-introduce you to the “Insiders’ Scoop.”
Every once in and while, our reporters, when enough noteworthy developments have piled up, will release news in an easy-to-digest roundup format for the MMA Junkie audience.
From fight rumblings to event locations and dates to roster departures and more, various tidbits will be featured each time “Insiders’ Scoop” is released.
So without further ado, here’s the re-launch of the “Insiders’ Scoop.”
UFC 262 plans
UFC 262 doesn't yet have a location or venue, but the promotion is closing in on a date. According to sources, the promotion is labeling an unannounced May 15 event as UFC 262. No fights have been announced at this time. – Nolan King
Bellator re-signs rising star
Dalton Rosta
One of Bellator's top rising prospects, Dalton Rosta, looked relatively flawless in each of his first four professional fights. Going four for four in Bellator and professional appearances to date, Rosta has signed a new multifight deal with the promotion, a Bellator official told me recently. After he rose to the status of one of the top U.S. amateurs, Rosta turned professional in 2019. He beat Bellator rental fighters Cody Vidal, Claude Wilcox, and Mark Gardener en route to a matchup with a rostered opponent, Ty Gwerder, at Bellator 250 in October. "Hercules" Rosta defeated Gwerder by unanimous decision. – Nolan King
Nine UFC departures that went unnoticed
As 2020 wound down, Dana White made it known: the UFC was expecting to trim its roster. That's when speculation began. Who was on the chopping block? Which fighters were safe? During these conversations, it occurred to us we don't actually have an official roster at our disposal. The UFC's website is updated from time to time, but fighters never disappear from the online roster, which makes things a bit confusing. The two best and most accurate rosters, found on Bloody Elbow and Wikipedia, are compiled from online sources: social media posts, stories, etc. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? That question is similar when it comes to UFC departures. Many are done quietly, so it's as if they never happened. Without hard evidence, those fighters remain on those lists. Over the past few weeks, we've done some digging and compiled a list of UFC departures that took place without any reports of them happening. Some of these departures are cuts, some are retirements, and some are parting-of-ways. While some took place in the past few weeks, others took place over a year ago. Here are nine fighters MMA Junkie confirmed are no longer on the UFC roster:
Aleksandra Albu (3-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
[autotag]Aleksandra Albu[/autotag]'s first UFC stint ends at four appearances. Albu made her UFC debut in her second professional fight. She defeated Izabela Badurek by second-round submission. In her sophomore UFC outing, Albu defeated Kailin Curran by unanimous decision. Her two-fight winning streak in the UFC was followed by back-to-back losses to Emily Whitmire and Loma Lookboonmee. She has not competed since October 2019.
Ali Alqaisi (8-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
One of the more recent departures of the bunch, [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag] exits on two losses in two appearances. Despite coming up winless in his first stint, Alqaisi made history as the first Jordanian fighter to compete in the UFC. Both of his defeats came by decision – a split decision loss to Irwin Rivera and a unanimous decision loss to Tony Kelley.
Cyril Asker (9-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
Cyril Asker
France's [autotag]Cyril Asker[/autotag] quietly departed the UFC following three losses in five promotional appearances. His defeats came to Jared Cannonier, Walt Harris, and Tai Tuivasa. His two promotional wins came against Dmitry Smolyakov and Yaozong Hu.
Alex Chambers (5-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC)
A pioneer of women's mixed martial arts in Australia, [autotag]Alex Chambers[/autotag] exits the UFC having lost four of five fights. She was finished in three of them. A competitor on "The Ultimate Fighter," Season 20, Chambers picked up her lone UFC win against Kailin Curran by third-round submission at UFC 191 in September 2015. She hasn't competed since September 2018.
Chris De La Rocha (5-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
(Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports)
[autotag]Chris De La Rocha[/autotag] exits the UFC off a December 2018 loss to Juan Adams at UFC on FOX 31. The defeat followed his solo UFC victory, a ground-and-pound TKO win over Rashad Coulter at UFC 225 in June 2018.
Syuri Kondo (6-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
(Adam Hagy, USA TODAY Sports)
Japan's [autotag]Syuri Kondo[/autotag] won her promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 117, a split decision over Chan Mi Jeon. The victory was her only one during her UFC stint as she lost three straight contests to Poliana Botelho, Xiaonan Yan, and Ashley Yoder. She has not competed since June 2019.
Bojan Mihajlovic (10-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC)
Following three straight stoppage losses against Francis Ngannou, Joachim Christensen, and Abdul-Kerim Edilov in the UFC, [autotag]Bojan Mihajlovic[/autotag] mysteriously disappeared from the public eye. While widely assumed, MMA Junkie can confirm his UFC departure.
Suman Mokhtarian (8-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
[autotag]Suman Mokhtarian[/autotag]'s (first) stint in the UFC ends at two appearances. A member of "The Ultimate Fighter," Season 27, Mokhtarian was eliminated and suffered a knee injury. After he healed from a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus, the UFC signed him. In his promotional debut, he lost to eventual featherweight contender Sodiq Yusuff by first-round TKO. In his sophomore UFC outing in December 2019, Mokhtarian lost a unanimous decision to Seung Woo Choi. In that fight, Mokhtarian once again injured his knee and required surgery as a result. Serving as the promoter for an Australian regional promotion, Urban Fight Night, Mokhtarian hopes to be picked up by RIZIN sometime in the near future. – Mike Bohn and Nolan King
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