The UFC has undergone a variety of huge changes over the last two years. The Reebok deal, USADA partnership and the sale of the promotion have provided a never-ending stream of big headlines for both sport-specific and mainstream media. Throughout all the changes, fighters were not contacted or consulted until after the deals had been made, which is absolutely the prerogative of the promotion, but when career-altering circumstances surround these company-made choices, discontent will soon make for familiar bedfellows.
2016 was perhaps the biggest year for MMA athletes looking to discover their value through free agency and onlookers saw several fighters changing promotions.