Site Sponsors:

Betting on UFC

Interested in betting on the UFC? Check out the MMAjunkie MMA Wagering Guide. It will tell you everything you need to know to get started. We recommend our partner site Bodog.

Bet on MMA

Latest UFC Odds

News Item


Report: UFC cuts Thomas, Speer and Hironaka

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on May 05, 2008 at 4:55 pm ET
The UFC has cut former UFC lightweight contender Din Thomas (22-8 MMA, 5-4 UFC), "The Ultimate Fighter 6" runner-up Tommy Speer (9-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) and Shooto veteran Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) from its roster of fighters.

The news was reported in this week's print edition of the Wrestling Observer.

The three fighters are the latest casualties as the UFC continues to cut its roster by a reported 25 percent.

Thomas, 31, made his octagon debut in 2001 as a highly touted prospect with a 10-1 record. Victories over UFC champ Jens Pulver and veteran Japanese fighter Dokonjonosuke Mishima earned him a UFC contract, but he eventually left the organization in early 2003. He'd return, via a "comeback" fourth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," and re-emerged as a contender after consecutive victories over Rich Clementi, Clay Guida and Jeremy Stephens.

However, Thomas suffered a significant knee injury in a main event loss to Kenny Florian, and he then dropped a unanimous decision to Josh Neer earlier this month. According to the report, he is considering whether to retire or continue fighting outside the organization. Despite rumors he has not been assigned to the WEC, the UFC's sister organization, but he does plan to move to 145 pounds.

Speer, 23, excelled on the sixth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" but suffered a first-round submission to Mac Danzig at the show's live finale. He subsequently suffered a devestating 51-second knockout to Anthony Johnson last month at UFC Fight Night 13.

Hironaka, 31, made his octagon debut at UFC 64 and took top welterweight contender Jon Fitch to a decision in a loss. He bounced back for a decision victory over Forrest Petz but has since suffered second-round TKOs to Thiago Alves and Jonathan Goulet.

Other fighters dropped from their UFC contracts over the past month include Joe Doerksen, Travis Lutter, Charles McCarthy, Jake O'Brien and Kalib Starnes. Additionally, numerous cast members from "The Ultimate Fighter 6" were cut earlier this year, and the majority of cast members from the current season of "TUF" will be released from the organization next month.

UFC officials have recently stated that they want to trim the roster to assure fighters can be scheduled more frequently and to avoid long layoffs between fights.

(Touch of gloves: fiveouncesofpain.com)

MMAjunkie.com Discussions

To join the MMAjunkie.com discussions with your fellow MMA junkies, sign up for a free MMAjunkie.com user account.
An account also allows you to post in the MMAjunkie.com MMA forums.

RULES: No spam. No fighter bashing. No insulting other posters. No disruptive posts. Nothing "Not Safe for Work" or illegal, including links to illegal videos. MMAjunkie.com reserves the right to moderate all posts.

MMAjunkie.com promotes intelligent and respectful discussions, and registering for an account is a privilege, not a right. For the sake of those who follow the rules, offenders will be banned from the site with little or no warning.


fuego [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:01 pm ET
Well this is good and bad, but "UFC officials have recently stated that they want to trim the roster to assure fighters can be scheduled more frequently and to avoid long layoffs between fights."

Couldn't they have more frequent events instead 1 per month? Every 2 weeks or so per event would be amazing with the massive roster that the UFC now has.
 

twizted203 on May 05, 2008 at 5:08 pm ET
Here is good solution instead of cutting the roster man...UFC!!! stop putting title fighters on the Tuf shows. not only does it hold up title fights but next in line contender!
 

Michaelthebox [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:11 pm ET
"Couldn't they have more frequent events instead 1 per month? Every 2 weeks or so per event would be amazing with the massive roster that the UFC now has."

Holding events costs, you know, money.  It ain't easy handling the logistics of an event or making money off it.  They'll probably have small weekly shows within a few years, but right now the UFC doesn't have the infrastructure to hold more events without losing money.
 

troy in vegas [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:55 pm ET
I hear what you're saying, and it makes perfect sense, but how does an awful promotion like the WWE continue
to maintain multiple events every week?  I know the UFC hasn't been around as long as the WWE, but still,
if those fake bastards can do it, why can't we!?
 

Michaelthebox [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:29 pm ET
"I know the UFC hasn't been around as long as the WWE, but still,
if those fake bastards can do it, why can't we!?"

Because the UFC hasn't been around as long as the WWE.

Seriously, theres a ton of business reasons why the UFC is taking their damn time and doing it right.  WWE has been perfecting their formula for decades.
 

the2name on May 05, 2008 at 8:23 pm ET
The WWE formally the WWF is like 70 years old man.
 

bp on May 05, 2008 at 10:04 pm ET
if a wwe superstar breaks a hand or foot or nose or eye socket like...for real...let's see them come back safely right away.  by this thinking, why not call hhh a bitch for taking so much time off when he tore muscles in his leg?
 

dc [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:51 pm ET
You kidding me.. lose money...

UFC only give us half the fights and charge us 50 plus bucks a ppv.. UFC sells out the arena cheapest ticket 200 bucks..

They are very profitable...

Example: UFC 82

Look at this
 http://mmajunkie.com/news/3867/ufc-82-salaries-paydays-for-anderson-silva-dan-henderson-heath-herring-and-more.mma

UFC 82 took place at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The 10-fight card drew 16,431 spectators for a live gate of $2.2 million.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $932,000

that isnt even including the ppv..

UFC isnt profitable??

You need to pull the wool off your eyes..


 

Michaelthebox [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:59 pm ET
" You kidding me.. lose money...

UFC only give us half the fights and charge us 50 plus bucks a ppv.. UFC sells out the arena cheapest ticket 200 bucks..

They are very profitable..."

Who are you talking to?  I don't see anyone on here saying the UFC isn't profitable.
 

matt [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 9:24 pm ET
do you know it also cost money to rent the venue, it cost money to provide the marketing, you have to pay the doctors and the other staff such as camera crew etc. You dont just pay the fighters i dont understand why people dont understand this it is a business people the ufc is in it to make themselves money just as every other promotion is in any sports
 

e8tballz on May 06, 2008 at 2:32 pm ET
do u even comprehend how much insurance cost is to put on an mma fight. add in marketing renting a venue etc etc. id love to see your buisness degree
 

Trsigley [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 11:11 pm ET
I think with that many shows you also run the risk of over saturating the market.
 

Vigilant on May 05, 2008 at 5:51 pm ET
could you afford $45.98 a month? i know i sure couldn't.
 

Vigilant on May 05, 2008 at 5:52 pm ET
err.. i mean twice per month.
 

the2name on May 05, 2008 at 8:25 pm ET
It is a 100 bucks for two great PPV a month no problem
 

sam on May 05, 2008 at 6:01 pm ET
i think that is a good idea. the only problem with that is keeping it affordable for the fans.  i like to host UFC parties at my place and it is fine with my wife.  once a month is not gonna put me in the doghouse.  every now and then we do get two in the same month.  and both pay per view fees show up on the same billing cycle on my dish bill.  i can get away with that every now and then but two a month every month? that's pushing it.  i know a lot of guys who have to bargain with their wives, myself included, just to spend a saturday night with the guys.  we do what we have to do though.  now if these events were brought to us as Fight Nights on spike, well, that's another story.  i love Fight Nights.  they give me something to look forward to before the weekend. 
as far as the UFC cutting the roster goes, well, those guys haven't done anything recently anyways.  no big loss there.
 

the2name on May 05, 2008 at 8:27 pm ET
See just another reason the UFC needs a womens division you get your girl hooked and its all good
 

sam on May 06, 2008 at 11:03 am ET
well my girl likes to watch GSP.  should i be worried? haha
 

bigdrose on May 06, 2008 at 7:34 am ET
alot of people will not pay for 2 ppv a month so they would loose on that aspect!
 

Ron [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:03 pm ET

good cuts
 

dust [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:06 pm ET
Thomas and Hironaka will be fine, I don't think Speer will do too well unless he fights only pudballs.
 

mmablaster on May 05, 2008 at 5:08 pm ET
I think all three of those guys should be offered deals in the WEC, including Thomas at 145.  Speer is just too young to give up on.
 

the2name on May 05, 2008 at 8:31 pm ET
Just because they have been cut once dont mean they cant work there way back. They just got there work cut out for them. I think these cits are a good thing, fight hard and perform well or your f-ing outta here. Makes for better competition for us to watch.
 

GameFace [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 2:37 am ET
I was disaapointed to see Din Thomas cut. After his injury in the loss to Din Thomas and coming back and losing a decision, to come back from a knee injuryt that fast and perform well is difficult. Hope to see him in the WEC 145 divi.
 

"Heavy Hands" Taylor [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:10 pm ET
Tough but necessary cuts. The UFC isn't like other sports organizations where they can bench fighters and still pay them.

Watch for two things. UFC fight cards are going to have more undercard fights (i.e. 13 or 14 a card) and tough fighters who finish quickly will be fighting every other card if possible. That leaves the potential for title holders who make the big bucks to fight twice a year and up-and-comers to fight three to four times a year.

These guys have good name recognition and will find homes if they want to. I think Thomas should retire and teach. He's had a hard road and it doesn't seem to be getting any easier.
 

dsid [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:11 pm ET
As I mentioned in another post, they really need to get a TV deal together so that they can start hosting a lot more events. Use the free TV shows for up and comers, and for guys to build up a fan base, get some experience, etc., and then use the PPVs more for title and big name fights. That way you actually use the free fights to build your audience further for the PPV fights, and you don't have to cut so many fighters.

They also need to establish the WEC as a true feeder organization so that they have somewhere to send these guys they're cutting, rather than sending them off to fight for all the other organizations out there and helping them.

All they really need to do is at a 145 class to the UFC to make that work, rather than saying they're going to eliminate the HW and LHW classes in the WEC (which is just dumb). Then move up guys like Filho and Faber to the UFC, set up some nice free TV fights, and then you have 2 great feeder organizations for the UFC that are self-sustaining.

That would allow them to actually grow and control a lot more fighters, rather than cutting guys to fight for DREAM, EliteXC, and all the other orgs.
 

ku on May 05, 2008 at 7:52 pm ET
Easier said than done.
 

madmax25 on May 05, 2008 at 5:13 pm ET
i agree good cuts and as far as speers we've seen the days of matt hughes type fighters
time to move on
 

ultimatesambo on May 05, 2008 at 5:17 pm ET
i think its good that the ufc is trimming its roster for multiple reasons such as causing inexperienced fighters back to the smaller circuits to get more experience (i.e. speers back to wec) while it needs to use these cut fighters as examples to fighters still on the roster to show that they are expendable as well (i.e. din thomas and jake o'brien)
 

LAS [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:31 pm ET
His strong showing on TUF aside, Speer is just not that good.  I remember watching him fight once in the WEC, and while he knocked the dude out, he basically looked clueless in doing so.  It's gonna be a long time before that dude has the standup skills to bang with the big boys at 170, if ever.

Too bad for Hironanka, fight of the night night and your out on your ass.  Too bad he's not canadian, he could probably have stuck around then...
 

atomicmike on May 05, 2008 at 5:33 pm ET
This is fine and all. I understand what they are (trying) to do. I also agree that they need to let some of these (worthless) fighters go or... UFC will start looking "cheap" but... I dont understand why they let Jake O'Brian go?? Was it maybe because he wasn't exciting?? Ideas, anyone?
 

Fiend on May 05, 2008 at 5:37 pm ET
Cuts like this as necessary and beneficial...fighters have too long of layoffs as it is and now other organizations can pick them up and strengthen their cards...I think the fans will benefit as more organizations get stocked up with quality fighters
 

giallo [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:40 pm ET
Didn't Hironoka just make $75,000 from fight of the night with Goulet?

How fast Thomas went from contendor to cut! It is silly to think that Melvin is still around and Din is cut. Din is very well rounded and I think he could take Huerta (who could lose his next three and not be cut).

 

CobraKai on May 05, 2008 at 6:11 pm ET
For real, why are Melvin Guillard (UFC 3-3), Kendall Grove (UFC 3-2), and Gurgel doing in the UFC with all of these cuts.  Gurgel has won all of his fights by decision and has never beat someone with a win in the UFC. 
 

CobraKai on May 05, 2008 at 6:13 pm ET
gurgel is 3-2 in the UFC as well.
 

Gunn Clappa [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:41 pm ET
Thomas is a great fighter. Too bad we'll never see that victory dance again. I thought that was hilarious after he beat Stevens.

I could think of a ton of people i'd get rid of before Dinero!
 

Peter [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:42 pm ET
What happened to "We're going to have everyone in the UFC" Dana?
 

jerry [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:30 pm ET
He should have said everyone that is worth having...i agree in the cuts,my only problem is the thin heavyweight division....
 

giallo [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:43 pm ET
atomicmike

I don't think any of us can say for sure, but that is what I would assume given  the UFC's attitude toward fighters that don't "put on a show." I assumed he was in the dog house after the herring fight.
 

[Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 5:56 pm ET
Wow, they're really dropping weight these days. I wonder if they're planning on another big purchase or signing other fighters?
 

patcruse12 on May 05, 2008 at 6:04 pm ET
yes they are planning a big purchase his name is KIMBO SLICE
 

the2name on May 05, 2008 at 8:36 pm ET
You"re kiddin right, Kimbo Slice is not a big purchase just an expensive one. And any h.w. in the UFC would destroy him. He does not have the experience in the cage.
 

Ray Finkle [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 10:48 am ET
That would be nice and then they could cut him after he loses a couple of fights.
 

MMAMAN [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:13 pm ET
Tommy Speer ok DIN THOMAS MAN THAT WTF
 

Fred [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:34 pm ET
It's not that surprising that Din got cut.  He's a great fighter, but he's not on that top level.  He'll never beat BJ Penn, so he'll never be the champ.  A rematch with Florian is not marketable as a main event or co-main event fight.  So there's no point in keeping Din around.
 

Zatko on May 06, 2008 at 12:34 pm ET
When you hear things like "significant knee injury" and "retirement" when dealing with a fighter, the people paying him definitely take notice.
 

[Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:14 pm ET
Please let the next round of "talent" cuts include dana . . .please please just this one thing for me Joe . . .
 

mmapwzor [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:15 pm ET
Problem with Thomas is that he probably costs too much and wont take a pay cut.  Hironaka is on a losing streak and probably wont amount to much in the WW division.  Speer just needs some polishing up.  Anyone of those fighters can go on a win streak in other orgs and I'm sure the UFC would consider signing them.
 

Dizz on May 05, 2008 at 6:31 pm ET
"For real, why are Melvin Guillard (UFC 3-3), Kendall Grove (UFC 3-2), and Gurgel doing in the UFC with all of these cuts.  Gurgel has won all of his fights by decision and has never beat someone with a win in the UFC."

Really?  It's because Grove, Gurgel, and Guillard are more marketable.  No matter what their records are, it's a market thing.  As much as I hate to admit that about Guillard, people will pay to watch him get his a$$ kicked.  Or hope for that anyway.  On a personally level, I wouldn't pay for a Speer, Thomas, or Hironaka fight.  And even out of the three of them Hironaka maybe.
 

CobraKai on May 05, 2008 at 6:46 pm ET
I understand your point with Guillard, but I can't see anyone wanting to see Gurgel drag out another decision over a fighter who has never won in the UFC.   Tanner will be a huge test for Grove.  I don't think he will win.  If he doesn't, that is 3 losses in a row and he will have to go after that.
 

MIKE [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:33 pm ET
Rich Clementi, Clay Guida and Jeremy Stephens Jens, just to name a few of Din thomas Great FIGHTER!!
 

juan [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:41 pm ET
din thomas - doesn't finish fights or get finished; lost to josh neer, who was released from the ufc, but fought because they need someone on short notice

tommy speer - exposed by danzig and johnson

hironaka - lost to petz and goulet, who are the bottom feeders of the welterweight division
 

ku on May 05, 2008 at 8:35 pm ET
hironaka defeated petz
 

juan [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:42 pm ET
i take the petz comment back.
 

paddiosf on May 05, 2008 at 6:46 pm ET
I posted a comment last week with the release of fighters and I really think that Zuffa is going to 
bring over the top fighters from the WEC, it makes sense to just have one strong fighting organization..
In addition to that they lost alot of money on that Pride deal that didn't benefit them in anyway with 
Pride going bankrupt..So It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. they could just continue to just 
sign fighters via the TUF show..it seems like a large percentage of the fighter that are on the show 
signs on with the UFC after the show and those fighters are brought in at a lower fight contract...
 

rhymeister on May 06, 2008 at 4:45 am ET
What the UFC did with Pride made absolutely no sense.  They just wanted to bring the best fighters over, and yes, that was rather successful.  But they could've have done so much more.  Pride was a money-making machine and the only reason it failed was because the owners got exposed for ties to 8-9-3, i.e. the Yakuza.  Well, almost all big promotions have ties to them.

So the UFC could've used a lot of the personnel who were working their tails off, installed a savvy executive, even an American or other western type, and continued on with Pride as it existed before the scandal with the Yak and worked on getting another TV deal.  They completely blew that and I see Dream eventually coming on and stealing some fighters back.
 

rhv [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:46 pm ET
Damn recession. No one is safe!

hehehe, I kid, I kid...

I'm surprised they're cutting so few fighters in the lw and ww divisions. Those divisions are stacked.
 

BIG from Anabolic Athletics [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 6:58 pm ET
There was an intersesting question...why the difference between the WWE and UFC.

Here it is in a nutshell...greed.

The UFC does not want to put on a fight and run the risk of a serious injury to a fighter when they are not getting PPV returns on their investment.

Take a look at the reported numbers from Montreal.

5 mil from the gate
500,000 buys for 22.5 mil on PPV
Sponsorship money...undisclosed

Payout to fighters...1 mil if we keep the standard over the last 5 or 6 fights.

Return on investment on a Friday night fight in Idaho, Michigan, Talahassee or Toronto, like the WWE...probably 3 or 4 mil tops. Big names will be held back for PPV and only lesser names will be toured.

It is all about the Benjamins BUT maybe MArk Cuban will see it as a viable way of doing business and tape all of those touring events for broadcast on HDNet.

Just a thought
 

the2name on May 05, 2008 at 8:46 pm ET
Good point but you forgot to mention that UFC fighters are'nt allowed the chemical assistance it takes to perform two or three times a week, which is becoming pretty well documented in the WWE.
 

Irish Matty P [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 7:06 pm ET


Dana, give us 1 new fight night every month with 8-10 fights and the top 5 aired, and one paper view at $44.95 per event...

and I will kiss the ground you walk on, and make you my new god.
 

Benny [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 7:10 pm ET
THEY CUT THOMAS!?!?!?!?! WTF! man the ufc is pissing me off with all these cuts. sure cut guys like speer, he isn't that good, but thomas IS one of the best guys in the div. he is a very good fighter. I mean look, he beat clay guida! this is redicules, he is top 5 in the div in my opinion (ufc div)
 

George Lucas [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 7:29 pm ET
Chill man. Last month Din himself said he was planning to cut to 145 to compete in the WEC. The UFC isn't cutting him because he's bad or anything, they're cutting him because it's what he wants.
 

kwal [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 10:16 am ET
Well most of the cuts were good ones, i mean i forget that canadians name but that was the shitiest preformance ever.
 

Action Karate [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 7:30 pm ET
lol Din Thomas is NOT top 5 even in the UFC.. 

Sean Sherk 

BJ Penn 

Kenny Florian 

Roger Huerta 

Joe Lauzon 

Rich Clementi 

Nate Diaz 

Joe Stevenson 

Gray Maynard 

Tyson Griffin 

Mac Danzig



Even Frankie Edgar, Spencer Fisher, Clay Guida, Anthony Johnson, Kurt Pelligrino, and Manny Gamburyan are better than Din Thomas and he is coming off two losses in a row- no you wanna tell me how he is top 5?? 

Din Thomas sucks Benny. 
 

Benny [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 11:17 am ET
fine maybe he isn't top 5, but he is better than a lot of the guys u named

he is better than maynard, huerta, lauzon, clementi, diaz, pelegrino,
 danzig griffin edgar, fisher guida, ( actually beat guida) gamburyan, and johnson is a ww
 

DanielMMA [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 7:33 pm ET
Just read this....
Totally agree with Speers and Hironaka
Hironaka had a bad record and never looked good...... Speers looks a excellent prospect but he got ko'ed by Johnson and Danzig outclassed him but I'm shocked by Din Thomas. Fair enough, he lost consecutive fights to Florian and Neer but I remember just a year ago, he was being billed as a future title contender.
People in mixed martial arts are simply not good enough, I accept that. I mean, Terry Martin was excellent at stand up but he deserved to be cut because his all round game wasn't good but I believe Din Thomas is not the right person to be cut from the UFC. I have followed him from his early days.. He's a fighter that has it all and when you still have people like Pete Sell under contract, how does this work out?
Feel sorry for Din, I really do
 

Yves from Canada [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 10:13 pm ET
They keep Pete Sell under contract because they'd like to make use of his huge forehead for an advertising billboard.
 

PhilipS on May 06, 2008 at 12:46 am ET
DanielMMA, I couldn't agree with you more.

Tommy Speer was a one-dimensional fighter waiting to be exposed.  If he continues to train with an actual MMA training team, I believe he actually has enormous potential but right now he's not UFC material and not marketable enough to stick around because the fans care.

Hironaka-san was doomed.  I'd love some input on this one, but aren't the Japanese fighters screwed if they're not amassing winning records?  If you can't do that post-fight interview in English and you don't look like a typical American (white, black, or hispanic), how are you going to get any positive response from an American crowd?

Thomas is a questionable release.  If he really wanted to drop a weight class, that's one thing.  If not, bad decision on the UFC's part.
 

facethemusic on May 05, 2008 at 7:40 pm ET
Din is such a great fighter. That's sad, but wasn't he dropping to 145 anyways? So maybe this was on mutual terms? Maybe so he can go to the WEC. But Speer i have no problem with i think he needs to go back to the WEC and get more experience. Hironaka i really liked too, but he fought tough guys and this cut makes sense.
 

dawg1 [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 7:40 pm ET
Woe woe,

OK Din isn't the top five, but come on, he is no slouch.

That Florian/Thomas fight may have been a different outcome if he didn't blow his knee out.

Din is definitely good, and I definitely do not agree with cutting him.

I think it was a bit premature to cut him.
 

Jack [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 8:01 pm ET
If they got rid of Speers, they should get rid of Emerson. They're about the same skill level. Grove, Herman, Guillard, should be gone. I think he's a good fighter, but i don't what they're going to do with Karo Pariysan, you can only be an 'almost' for so long, and that guy would probably flourish in any other organization.
 

Hyde [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 8:25 pm ET
It's a shame to see Thomas go.  Hopefully he'll be picked up by a good, visible organization and not get exiled to DEEP or Shooto (not that they're bad organizations, just not on T.V.).  He'd be a great find for Strikeforce or EliteXC, which have some good LW fighters.
 

Dizz on May 05, 2008 at 8:30 pm ET
Parisyan comment = Homerun, deep centerfield.
 

fightfan [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 8:51 pm ET
JOSH NEER is still in the ufc
 

Dazed_and_confused [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 9:04 pm ET
I'm confused...could anyone help me to understand.
What is the reason for contracts anyway, if UFC cuts off and releases their fighters?  Or did they get cut because these fighters are not under UFC contracts?
Peace ya'll.

 

Jack on May 05, 2008 at 9:27 pm ET
It seems to me that this is no different than teams in the NHL, NBA, MLB, or NFL sending players to their farm team or putting them on waivers.  It would probably make a lot more sense for the UFC to send them to the WEC instead of just releasing them.  Why let your competitors have some good talent.
 

mmamonkey [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 9:28 pm ET
Great move with Speer getting the ax.  Hughes loved the guy, but other than sheer strength, his wrestling seemed suspect (other than defense) and he had no BJJ skills. 

Keep cutting, if it will get us more, and better, fights to watch....
 

WilkeVP on May 05, 2008 at 9:59 pm ET
I think MMAJunkie keeps mentioning Jake O'Brien just to mess with all of us. Good job MMAJunkie. I kinda like Jake anyways. He seemed like a guy who was always just trying to do his best out there. I'll watch him as he develops his game.
 

RoB [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 10:10 pm ET
Yea Speer seems to be nervous as hell when he fights, that guy needs to calm down and keep his chin down... the UFC are doing Speer a favor by releasing him he's only 23..
 

RyanHobbs [Unregistered] on May 05, 2008 at 10:18 pm ET
I'm telling ya, I don't see why all of these cut fighters don't ALL go to the WEC. This would bring more media attention to the WEC and would therefore bring in more money. I'm sure some of these cut fighters would kill in the WEC.
 

ku on May 05, 2008 at 10:48 pm ET
 

Hammer [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 12:23 am ET
I must say, I have mixed feelings about some of these cuts. I mean, some fighters on the list had it coming but others are damn good fighters who I would like to see fight again. Here's my list and opinions.

Joe Doerksen - Three losses in a row, and while there is little shame in losing to Jason MacDonald or Paulo Filho, losing to Ed Herman and his best win is over pre-TUF Leben, doesn't present an exemplary UFC resume.  Joe seems to be a gatekeeper between guys who aren't UFC material and those who can make the cut. I wouldn't mind seeing Joe fight again, but he needs to step it up. I can see why he got cut.

Travis Lutter - All's I gotta say after going through a season of TUF, and having the chance of a lifetime to train with many MMA veterans and winning a title shot, Travis Lutter goes on to talk smack about Anderson Silva's ground game, shows up to the match out of shape, fails to make weight and gets submitted on the ground by Silva, nevermind how badly he gassed in the second round against Rich Franklin. Lutter deserved to get canned and will not be missed. A car without a gas tank, isn't very useful.

Charles McCarthy - Well considering he willingly retired, and has a VERY small UFC record, and not much of the MMA record. There just isn't much to weigh in on, so I can't say I'll miss him.

Jake O'Brien - This one pissed me off, espcially considering the state the heavyweight division is in right now. Jake O'Brien is an excellent and exciting fighter, with a good record and a win over Heath Herring. There is no shame in losing to Arlovski, and while yes Jake has had to deal with an injury, I think he deserved at least one or two more fights in the Octagon.

Kalib Starnes - After getting that SICK cut in a slugfest with Alan Belcher, I though Starnes Quarry would be just as enjoyable. Starnes however, made a mockery of himself and the sport with his performance. Heck, I would be surprised if he cashed out by betting against himself. I've never seen judges have to deduct points for timidity, but I guess they did on that fight. I'm glad Dana made an example of Starnes, that kind of crap doesn't even belong in a pro wrestling ring.

Din Thomas - I'm going to miss Din, he a good fighter with great striking. I hope he drops weight and fights in WEC. That is something I would pay to see. Heck Din Thomas vs Jens Pulver would be sick, and I'm sure there are some sick guys in WEC who could make some damn good fights with Din. I think though, a bit of the fallout from the smoker arrest might have caused this.

Tommy Speer - Wasn't a fan of Speer on TUF, not a fan of him now and to be fair, if it weren't for him being on TUF I wouldn't even know his name. Speer is still young, maybe he can hit WEC or keep fighting. He needs more experience before he gets back into the UFC.

Kuniyoshi Hironaka - That fight against Jonathan Goulet was crazy and deserved fight of the night. I would have liked to see more of him, but to be fair, until that fight, I hadn't seen nor heard of Hironaka, so I can sort of see the reason for the cut, given he's 1-3 in the UFC. Oh well.
 

Bokeefe [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 12:29 am ET
I personally agree with all the cuts the ufc has made so far. Bottomline the UFC is the best mma organization in the world right now with pretty much all the best fighters in the world. And if you dont perform and dont condition yourself well enough to deliver great fights fr the fans Dana has shown that he has no problems cutting you (Starnes, McArthy, Lutter, etc). The only cut I may not agree with however is the cut of speer. I watching him in TUF and he seemed like he had alot of potential with his brute strength and he seemed like he could take a punch. But clearly Dana disagreed and also with the strength of the welterweight division theres no way he would ever become a contender.
 

CobraKai on May 06, 2008 at 1:10 am ET
He does have a lot of potential but isn't ready for the UFC yet.  There is another guy who disagrees that Tommy Speer can take a punch: Anothony Johnson.
 

shitonyou [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 1:15 am ET
I wouldent worry to much about these guys maintaining an income, if i remember correctly Thomas has his own school in Florida, Speer has a family farm and hironaka lives in Japan so he can probaly go work at nintendo or something. Anyways with all the recent cuts its gonna make the fighters train and fight that much harder so they dont loose, which makes for good fights. I could see Thomas returning to the UFC if he strings together a few wins in the minor leagues.
 

WTF! [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 2:36 am ET
This is nuts! Why the heck release Din Thomas, I can understand Jake O'brien (the guy was terrible/boring and one dimensional) but Din?
 

rhymeister on May 06, 2008 at 4:34 am ET
Wow, UFC's loss is going to be another promotion's gain.  Hironaka, yeah, don't see much loss with cutting him but Thomas esp I think has a lot of potential and ability, same for Tommy Speer.

What the UFC is doing in a sense is promoting these guys and then by cutting them loose giving free promotion to them as fighters for another organization.  And I'm sure we'll see Thomas and Speer in Elite XC, perhaps Mark Cuban's organization or some other.  I think the UFC mgmt is making a huge mistake with cutting good, promising and/or exciting fighters.

Since they seem to be doing well with the gate and PPVs why not increase the number of events?  Seems like an odd choice to me...
 

Narcisistic [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 5:18 am ET
The UFC is going to begin to start helping other Organizations with these rounds of cuts I would love to see Din go to EXC and compete for a belt soon. The guy is a warrior and who knows how the florian fihgt might have turned out if it wasnt for the ACL tare.
 

Jay [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 6:52 am ET
Well, I UFC obviously doesn't want to be a watered down organization, but Din is a very 
good fighter, who should have stayed. Speer....oh boy. After that debacle against Mr. Rumble, 
he needed to go. None the less, whomever they are makin room for better be worth it because the "Curse of Couture" is on the UFC.              
 

WTF [Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 7:23 am ET
Tommy Speer was a great cut
Hironaka, who let him in the UFC anyways?
BUT DIN THOMAS?!?!?
He's a fukin' veteran man. He's been in the UFC for a LONG time.
He's not a boring fighter, and he doesn't lose that often.
So what the fuck?
He was even at the top of the lightweight contendership for while.
Almost beat BJ Penn.
That is a weird weird cut for Dana / UFC to make.

They might be going over-board with cutting all these fighters, and it might backfire in more ways than one, and hurt the UFC alot more than Mr. White think it will....
 

mmeh on May 06, 2008 at 9:04 am ET
ok so i don't know if anyone has posted this comment yet but i've read a few and
people are pissed about din. the fact is he wants to drop to 145.. he said that, so the ufc
cut his contract so.... they did him a favour really, he's probably going to the wec (owned 
by zuffa, which ones the ufc)
 

Zatko on May 06, 2008 at 12:37 pm ET
Would you buy a car with busted-ass transmission and then just hope for the best? Knee injuries in this sport are the most debilitating setback for any fighter. Din's knees are not what they once were.
 

IAMWallace on May 06, 2008 at 9:13 am ET
I'm not surprised at Speer and Hironaka, but Thomas is a UFC veteran that is still relevant... if nothing else as a gate-keeper to the division.  And I agree with the other posters advocating the 145 class to the UFC... there's no downside to that.
 

[Unregistered] on May 06, 2008 at 10:33 am ET
Tommy Speer should have been cut after the Danzig fight thats two fights in a row he looked like a chump, Matt Hughes is trying to bred him into a exact replica of himself, Hello your style dont work anymore look what BJ and George did to you Hughes sucks and so dont Speer..
 

James on May 06, 2008 at 10:52 am ET
Can someone explain and remind me why the UFC is doing this cutting of fighters by 25%?
 

Zatko on May 06, 2008 at 12:35 pm ET