UFC to slash roster earlier than year-end, says Dana White

By Philip O’Connor

(Reuters) – The Final Preventing Championship (UFC) is ready to chop 60 combined martial artists from its roster earlier than the tip of the 12 months, president Dana White instructed a media convention after Saturday’s card in Las Vegas.

White was responding to a query about Cuban middleweight Yoel Romero, who was just lately dropped by the organisation regardless of preventing for the title as just lately as final March. The UFC presently lists 724 lively fighters on its web site (www.ufc.com), comprising 117 ladies and 607 males.

“We’re gonna undergo some critical cuts right here on the finish of the 12 months, in all probability going to have 60 cuts right here earlier than the tip of the 12 months … our roster may be very inflated proper now,” White instructed reporters.

    “We’re simply actually beginning to undergo the record and he (Romero) is 44, he is misplaced 4 of his final 5. These are the powerful choices you have to make,” he added.

The UFC was one of many first main American sports activities our bodies to restart within the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, making a bubble and staging playing cards in Florida and Las Vegas in addition to “Battle Island” in Abu Dhabi, with no followers in attendance.

Regardless of the difficulties and the upcoming cuts, White declared himself proud of the best way 2020 has panned out, saying: “For all of the adverse issues and unhealthy stuff that has occurred this 12 months, it positive has performed out fairly effectively for us.”