For years, the UFC cultivated a reputation as a notably cutthroat organization when it came to managing its large roster of talent. Fighters would get two fights (sometimes only even one) and if they didn’t get a win, more often than not they were gone. Even after long stretches of success, fighters who lost two or three bouts in a row were expected to be on the chopping block.
Gradually, that reality has changed, however. Whether in response to pressure from the ongoing class action lawsuit – driven by former fighters who claim that the organization wields unchecked monopsony power – or simply the natural evolution of an increasingly busy fight calendar and a desire to control as much of the world’s rising MMA talent as possible, the UFC roster has ballooned and their constant stream of cuts dwindled away.