THE FIGHT game is one of the most cut-throat businesses in all of sports.
History has shown it’s extremely hard for combatants to get back in the good graces of promoters, and indeed fans, when they burn bridges.
UFC president Dana White runs the tightest ship in all of combat sportsGETTY
The veteran promoter hasn’t been afraid to kick big-name and promising fighters to the curbGETTY
And the tight ship run by the Ultimate Fighting Championship is a prime example of that.
The UFC – mixed martial arts premier promotion – has cast aside multiple fighters who have fallen foul of the law or their strict rules – although a handful have managed to escape the wrath of chief Dana White.
Some of the castaways have gone on to have successful careers, although many have fallen into obscurity.
The latter fate may befall the promotion’s recent castoff, who was exiled last month for an outrageous breach of rules.
So with that in mind, SunSport thought it’d only be right to reveal the most memorable stars banished by the UFC.
Rousimar Palhares
The Brazilian powerhouse was known as one of the most ferocious and feared grapplers in MMA‘s top promotion from 2008 to 2013.
The fear element came from Toquinho’s penchant for holding on to submissions long after his opponents had tapped.
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After UFC 111, he was suspended for 90 days for holding on to a heel hook on Tomasz Drwal after the Pole tapped.
He’d do the same again three years late in his welterweight debut against Mike Pierce, who tapped EIGHT TIMES before the Brazilian let go of the submission.
The decision to keep cranking the hold cost him dearly as he was given his marching orders less than 24 hours later.
White said: “This is the second incident we’ve had with Palhares. He had the lock and didn’t let go.
“Finally, he let it go but I’m going to cut him too.”
Palhares would find a home in the now-defunct World Series of Fighting but would eventually be booted out of it for once again holding on to another submission for too long.
The 44-year-old is still an active fighter, although he’s currently on a five-fight skid.
GETTYRousimar Palhares was cut from the UFC for deliberately holding onto a heel hook on Mike Pierce[/caption]
Renato Sobral
Holding on to a submission for too long also cost former light-heavyweight title challenger Sobral his spot on the UFC roster.
The Brazilian was booted out of the organisation for refusing to let go of an anaconda choke in his 2007 clash with David Heath – despite referee Steve Mazzagatti’s protestations.
And he stunned fans in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan by admitting he INTENTIONALLY held on until Heath passed out in order to teach him a lesson.
White was swift with his axing of the submission grappler – who went on to fight in Strikeforce and Bellator, saying: “Completely unacceptable.
“This is the fight game and s*** happens. But no way can you do what he did.”
UFCRenato Sobral deliberately held on to an anaconda choke on David Heath[/caption]
Matt Riddle
A series of failed drug tests cost Riddle, who is now plying his trade in the WWE, his place on the UFC roster – which White was adamant he’d never grace again.
He said: “Everybody’s going to have an excuse of why they were cut.
“Matt Riddle did an interview before that fight where he said ‘I smoke weed so that I don’t beat my children’ then he tests positive for it. He’s a f moron.
“That’s why he’s not here. He’s cut because he’s a moron. I’ll make it real easy for him, we just won’t ask him (to come back).”
WWEMatt Riddle now plies his trade in the WWE[/caption]
Paul Daley
‘Semtex’ Daley is widely regarded by many to be a pioneer of mixed martial arts.
He made a rip-roaring start to life in the UFC, knocking out Martin Kampann and Dustin Hazlett in September 2009 and January 2010 respectively to earn himself a welterweight title eliminator fight.
Josh Koscheck ended his dream of fighting for UFC gold with a dominant display of wrestling in their 2011 showdown, although he did very little when he had the Brit on his back.
And a frustrated Daley – who played in Nottingham Forest‘s academy – sensationally PUNCHED the American after the final horn.
UFC supremo White was quick in exiling him, saying: “I don’t care if he fights in every show all over the world and becomes the best, and everybody thinks he is the pound-for-pound best in the world.
“He will never fight in the UFC again.”
Daley would go on to have a further 20 fights before retiring in May 2022, with the bulk of those taking place in Bellator.
UFCPaul Daley was axed for punching Josh Koscheck after the welterweight title eliminator[/caption]
Jason High
Former UFC lightweight High also felt the wrath of White for showing his post-fight frustrations inside the octagon.
High pushed referee Kevin Mulhall after believing his June 2014 lightweight showdown with Rafael dos Anjos – which he lost via second-round TKO – was stopped prematurely and promptly cut.
White said: “He’s cut. I’m going to cut him. I look at the way (Paul) Daley put his hands on his opponent after a fight was over.
“You don’t ever, ever f touch a referee, ever. You’re done here. He’s been apologising on Twitter, but he’s done here.”
UFCJason High was axed for putting his hands on referee Kevin Mulhall[/caption]
Thiago Silva
The former light-heavyweight standout was axed from the promotion after he allegedly threatened his estranged wife with a gun in 2014.
He found himself embroiled in a FOUR-HOUR stand-off with Florida police and a SWAT team.
White vowed that the Brazilian bruiser, who had all the charges against him dropped, would never fight in the UFC again.
Silva has fought 11 times since his UFC banishment, with his last outing taking place in May 2022.
UFCThiago Silva was axed from the UFC following a July 2014 incident with police[/caption]
BJ Penn
The former two-division champion is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters to have ever competed in the sport.
But a run of seven defeats on the bounce marred his legacy, as did numerous worrying incidents outside of the octagon.
The straw that broke the camel’s back and brought about the end of his career was a September 2019 street fight in Haawai, in which he was knocked down before beating up a drunk man.
After seeing the video, White said: “He won’t fight again, that’s it. That’s a wrap. It’s not even that this was the last straw.
“I didn’t love him continuing to fight anyway, but with the relationship that he and I have – he gets me on the phone, begging me for another fight. It’s hard to turn him down.
“After what I saw in that video, BJ needs to, you know, he needs to focus on his personal life before he thinks about fighting.”
GETTYUFC icon BJ Penn was cut in September 2019 after a series of losses and worrying behaviour[/caption]
Wanderlei Silva
The beloved Brazilian, who competed during the golden era of Pride, sensationally accused the UFC of fixing fights in 2015.
His outrageous claim prompted a lawsuit from the promotion, which eventually led to a public apology and retraction from the light-heavyweight.
He was released from the promotion a few days after his apology, paving the way for him to fight twice in Bellator before his retirement in September 2022.
GETTYMMA star Wanderlei Silva was given his marching orders in January 2016[/caption]
Igor Severino
Severino made his octagon debut last month against fellow Brazilian Andre Lima.
But the fight, and indeed his UFC career, ended up lasting less than two rounds as he sensationally BIT his flyweight rival on the arm while trying to work for a takedown.
He was disqualified after the referee saw his teeth marks and was given his P45 by Dana White, who said: “Those were two up-and-coming undefeated fighters.
“If you get frustrated and want out of the fight, there are plenty of ways to do it.
“But the worst thing you can do is bite your opponent.
“Now, you get cut and lose the biggest opportunity of your life.
“Not to mention, he’s going to have real problems with the NSAC.”
GETTYIgor Severino was given the boot for biting Andre Lima in April 2024[/caption]