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Fan-Favorite Filipino Featherweight Departs UFC After Surprising Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Aldon | Last updated Feb 27, 2025 6:43 PM ET

In the UFC, losing three in a row puts most fighters in jeopardy of being released from the roster, even if those fights were competitive. Putting on a show is sometimes not enough to stay within the company, one has to win fights as well.

Josh “Kuya” Culibao is among the latest fighters released from the UFC. Having lost three fights in a row, it comes as no surprise that he was cut from the fighter roster.

In his latest fight, Culibao lost a split decision to Ricardo Ramos in what should have frankly been a winnable fight for the Filipino fighter. His two losses before that were to Danny Silva and surging featherweight contender Lerone Murphy.

Culibao was known for being a showman, putting on thrilling fights against his opponents, at times gesturing to the audience to cheer him on.

In probably his most electrifying performance, Culibao submitted and flipped off Melsik Baghdasaryan in front of his home crowd in Australia during UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski after having a heated face-off the day before.

Despite a losing record in the UFC of 3-4, it was moments like these that made “Kuya” a fan favorite. Culibao has yet to announce his departure or what his next plans will be, but time will tell whether or not he will return to the UFC.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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