UFC star axed by Dana White just days after controversial defeat
UFC president Dana White is known for his ruthless approach to cutting fighters, and following UFC 316, one fighter has been shown the door.
The promotion was back in New Jersey last weekend for a blockbuster pay-per-view event, with the main event being a bantamweight clash between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley. The Georgian had won their first bout last September, but 'Suga' was keen to level the series.
However, Dvalishvili put an end to the rivalry by submitting the challenger in the third round, successfully defending his 135lb title. In the co-main event, Kayla Harrison became the new women's bantamweight champion after she submitted Julianna Pena.
Also on the main card, Kevin Holland submitted Vicente Luque in the second round, while Patchy Mix had a difficult promotional debut, losing to rising bantamweight star Mario Bautista. Just days after the fight card, one of Saturday night's top fighters has been let go.
According to Brazilian outlet Ag Fight, Ariane da Silva has been released from the UFC after the promotion decided not to renew her current contract. Da Silva lost to Wang Cong in a unanimous decision in their catchweight clash lower down the pay-per-view card. The fight was supposed to be at flyweight, but Da Silva shockingly missed weight by six pounds.
Renato da Silva, husband of MMA fighter Ariane, has disclosed to MMA Fighting that a botched treatment plan for a benign pituitary tumour led to serious complications during her weight cut. The Brazilian's coach explained that the tumour was found after a blood test indicated abnormal prolactin and cortisol levels during fight camp. Despite bringing in a new nutritionist for UFC 316, the strategy failed.
"We wanted to get the cortisol levels down so it wouldn't affect her health," Renato commented. "By controlling the cortisol levels, we wanted to cause as little stress as possible to her body. And the nutritionist opted for a strategy that would have her hold as much as weight as possible until the end, and it was too much for the final days. He doesn't know her as much as I do, and he thought she would be able to do that.
"There was a moment this morning she wasn't feeling good. I know her body. There was still something left there to cut, but at the same time, her reactions weren't normal. She wasn't walking right, she was blinking too slow, she had double vision, and couldn't focus, her voice sounded weak. She was giving us dangerous signs as she dropped weight."
Da Silva first stepped into the promotional cage in 2019. She suffered defeats in her first two bouts against Joanne Calderwood and Molly McCann, before bouncing back with two consecutive victories. The 31-year-old then had a mixed record of 1-2 in her next three fights before deciding to move up in weight. After a loss to Priscila Cachoeira on her 135lb debut, Da Silva returned to the flyweight division and secured three straight wins. However, she leaves the UFC on the back of three successive losses.
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