Dana White’s Contender Series rising star released by UFC after two straight defeats

Barlow has been removed from the UFC roster following his loss to Santos at UFC Vancouver.

The news broke on Wednesday when Tom Feely of Sherdog noted that the 30-year-old fighter was no longer listed on the official UFC.com roster, a clear sign that he had been released.

Barlow, once an unbeaten 9-0 welterweight prospect, joined the promotion via Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2023 but hit a rough patch with back-to-back losses in Canada.

He had started his UFC stint well, stopping Josh Quinlan in his debut and then edging out Nikolay Veretennikov by split decision – though he did miss weight for that fight.

However, things began to unravel this year. He suffered his first professional defeat in March when Sam Patterson stopped him inside the first round.

Last weekend’s bout against Santos did not go any better, with judges siding against him despite Barlow entering as a strong favourite.

In total, he leaves the promotion with a 2-2 record.

Fans divided over Danny Barlow’s UFC exit

Barlow’s exit from the promotion comes two years after he earned his contract through Dana White’s Contender Series.

Many fans are surprised by his release, especially after a strong, competitive fight.

“Should’ve been given a longer leash, he’s actually a good fighter,” one fan commented on Instagram.

Landon Quinones, who has a 0-2 record in the UFC, added: “UFC never gives good fighters the chance to bounce back or build, that’s why they don’t have superstars rn.”

Another fan commented: “I remember when they signed him. A lot of people had high hopes for him. But after back-to-back losses, it’s evident he has a limited skill set and one-dimensional fight style. But it sucks to see a prospect let go so quickly.”

Even though Barlow has dropped his last two fights, it is notable that one of those losses came against Sam Patterson, who is currently on a four-fight finish streak.