The UFC continues to trim its roster with ruthless efficiency, as the wave of cuts keeps piling up. 19-fight UFC veteran with 33 fights overall, Max Griffin, took to Instagram on Thursday with a video, revealing he has become the latest victim of UFC’s wave of roster cuts.
“I have been officially cut from the UFC,” Griffin said. “First off, I want to thank UFC for all these years, 10 years, mind you, in the fight business. Thanks to my friends, my family, my fans, [and] everyone I’ve developed in the years. It’s let me do so much, open so many doors, but my s—t ain’t over.
“I still want to fight. [My] last few fights have been some [questionable] decisions, which have been, it’s the name of the game, baby. It’s the name of the game, but I’m straight. I heard the news a little bit ago, but it wasn’t for sure, but it’s business, man.”
The American welterweight is coming off three consecutive losses to Michael Chiesa, Chris Curtis, and Victor Valenzuela in the span of two years. And even before that, ‘Pain’ was bouncing back and forth between losses and wins. With the track record, the news appeared inevitable.
Still, for Griffin, the separation from the promotion, which he has called home for 10 years, was rough.
“It’s rough. It’s rough,” he added. “But it is what it is. I still want to fight. I still want to whoop n—as as—s for money. I still got it. [As] I said, shout out to all the brands, shout out to all the people, all the connections, shout out for this life, shout out to God. Oh, shout out to God.
“Today I just visited elementary school, spent time with the kids, and I’m actually going to juvenile hall today to go talk to those kids. So my chapter is turning [its] page. Love you all, much love. Thank you all.”
Despite his recent downward spiral, Griffin had his highlights in the promotion. He has lost just one fight via knockout, and he was submitted just once. His best stretch in the promotion saw him win three out of four fights in the promotion.
He also holds notable wins over Carlos Condit, Tim Means, and Mike Perry. Griffin exited the promotion with an 8-11 UFC record, as the organization continues its latest wave of roster cuts.
Fighters who have been shown the door recently
Less than ten days ago, former No. 5-ranked women’s bantamweight contender Ketlen Vieira was cut from the UFC roster. Although she scored a decision win in her last outing against Jacqueline Cavalcanti, this same month, the two-time title challenger had been bouncing back and forth between losses and wins.
Alongside Vieira, light heavyweight Ivan Erslan was also asked to leave despite a win in his last fight against Tuco Tokkos. This was his first win in the UFC since he joined the promotion in 2024 and suffered three straight losses. Despite having a strong regional background, he struggled to maintain consistency in the UFC.
Interestingly, his opponent, Tuco Tokkos, wasn’t spared either. Like Erslan, Tokkos has also gone 1-3 in his short UFC run since he joined the promotion back in 2024. Even Daniel Barez had a similar thing unfold, as he went 1-3 in the promotion since 2023. Before this round of cuts, the UFC expelled Montserrat Rendon, Luan Lacerda, and Terrance Saeteurn in March.
Antonio Trocoli, Bruna Brasil, and Luana Carolina were also removed later that month. And Pedro Munhoz, who had a 12-year run in the UFC, was released in April after suffering three losses in a row.
At the end of the day, the UFC is cracking down on fighters with a lack of consistency. While Max Griffin insists he wants to continue fighting at the age of 40, it might be difficult for him to find work with a slowing career.
