Whenever Dana White cuts a fighter from the UFC, making it back into the promotion becomes a hard, almost impossible task. But Rhys McKee stands as one of the few exceptions. The Irish fighter was once axed from the promotion back in 2020, only to rejoin the company in 2023. However, after two years of fighting inside the UFC cage, White has seen enough from ‘Skeletor’ and has decided to part ways for the second time.

Back in 2020, following his back-to-back losses against Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Morono, Rhys McKee was released by Dana White and Co. Yet, the Irishman proved his mettle by winning the Cage Warriors championship, defeating Justin Burlinson at CW 140. The 30-year-old then defended his belt against Jim Wallhead at CW 153. Because of those achievements, the UFC CEO signed McKee back, but his second UFC run stalled again at 1-3. So, after ‘Skeletor’ lost against Axel Sola at UFC Paris in September, White has cut him from the roster once again.

Cage Warriors titleholder Rhys McKee parts ways with the UFC again

“Disappointed to part ways with the UFC before some roster watch lets everyone know. Silver lining coming,” McKee shared on Instagram. “Been a fast few days, feel a weight lift since alls been said & done, excited for the next step in my career plenty left in the tank not shown yet, all I want now is activity, decent communication & my worth in full, live & die by the sword 100% finish rate always on the line!” the former Cage Warriors champ stated on X.

Well, some fans might find McKee’s second departure from the UFC a rare occurrence. But surprisingly, it has happened before. Before the former CW champ, the UFC axed two-time The Ultimate Fighter winner Brad Katona in June 2025.

The Canadian debuted in the promotion by winning TUF 27 back in 2018, but the UFC released him a year later after two consecutive losses. However, Katona fought his way back into the UFC by lifting the TUF 31 bantamweight tournament trophy. Still, that grim fate struck again, and the company cut ‘Superman’ once more after he went 2-3 across five fights.

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Now, aside from this coincidence, McKee’s exit from the UFC has also created a void in Irish MMA. With him gone, Ian Garry remains the only active male fighter from Ireland, as the promotion released two other fighters from the country this year. Furthermore, other than ‘Skeletor’, Dana White’s unforgiving axe also cut another veteran UFC fighter this year. 

Dana White released Ricardo Ramos from the promotion 

Ricardo Ramos joined the UFC back in 2019 and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. The Brazilian’s run started with a three-fight win streak, which included names like Aiemann Zahabi and Kyung Ho Kang. He also enjoyed a decent run until 2022. However, from 2023, ‘Carcacinha’s career fell off badly, as he lost four of his last five fights through 2025.

Ramos’ last fight in the UFC came against Kaan Ofli at UFC Fight Night Rio: Oliveira vs Gamrot, where he lost via rear-naked choke in the first round, marking his seventh loss in the promotion. In total, the Brazilian bantamweight fought 15 times in the UFC and finished with an 8-7 record.  

Well, the 30-year-old hasn’t released any official statement after getting cut from the UFC. Yet, it won’t be a stretch to say that he’s still relatively young and experienced enough to find a place in other promotions like BRAVE CF or PFL.

That said, what do you think about Dana White cutting some well-known fighters from the UFC before the Paramount+ CBS era starts? Let us know in the comments section below.