Credit:Getty/UFC
Credit: Getty/UFC
Credit: Getty/UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has granted Askar
Askarov’s request.
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Shortly after expressing his desire to be released in an Instagram
post, Askarov and the UFC have parted ways. Twitter account
UFC Roster Watch
first brought word of Askarov’s release, and it has since been
confirmed by multiple outlets.
“Due to my return being delayed due to medical reasons and being my
last fight under my contract, I asked UFC to release me,” Askarov
wrote on Instagram last
week. “To which, I received a positive response. First, let’s put
our health in order, and then we will see what and how.”
Regarded as one of the top contenders in the flyweight division,
Askarov has pulled out of proposed bouts against Brandon
Royval on Oct. 15 and against Alex Perez on
July 16. In his most recent appearance, the 30-year-old Dagestani
dropped a unanimous verdict to Kai Kara
France at UFC on ESPN 33 on March 26. His resume includes
notable triumphs over the likes of Joseph
Benavidez, Alexandre
Pantoja and Tim
Elliott.
Askarov is the most notable of a slew of roster cutdowns made by
the Las Vegas-based promotion. The following fighters are also no
longer with the UFC: Misha
Cirkunov, Louis
Cosce, Krzysztof
Jotko, Nick
Maximov, Magomed
Mustafaev, Charlie
Ontiveros, Jesse
Ronson, Cameron
VanCamp and Darian
Weeks.
It is not clear if those mentioned above were released from their
contracts or simply not re-signed by the organization.