5 high-profile fighters who demanded their release from the UFC

#2. Dan Hardy – former UFC welterweight contender

Dan Hardy asked for his release from the UFC - and got it - in 2021

Not all of the fighters who have requested their release from the UFC over the years were driven purely by a need for a bigger pay cheque. In the case of former welterweight champion Dan Hardy, it was a little different.

After joining the promotion in late 2008, ‘The Outlaw’ quickly became one of the most popular fighters in the UK. While he was unable to defeat Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight crown in 2010, by late 2012 he appeared to be on a resurgence after winning two straight bouts.

However, disaster then struck in 2013 when Hardy was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The condition meant that ‘The Outlaw’ was unable to gain a license to compete, essentially forcing him into retirement.

By the time Hardy was medically cleared, it was 2018, some six years after his last fight. While he did express interest in returning, it seemed like a fruitless idea as he’d settled into a role as a commentator with the UFC instead.

When ‘The Outlaw’ was allegedly involved in an altercation with an employee of the promotion in March 2021, though, the UFC were quick to terminate his deal as a commentator, much to the surprise of the UK favorite.

Just months later, it came as no surprise to learn that Hardy had also requested his release from his fighting contract with the promotion. In this instance, the UFC were happy to acquiesce to his demands.

While he hasn’t fought since, ‘The Outlaw’ is believed to be planning a comeback outside of the octagon in the near future.

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#1. Nate Diaz – UFC welterweight contender

With just one fight remaining on his contract, Nate Diaz has asked the UFC to let him go

It’s probably fair to say that Nate Diaz’s relationship with the UFC has always been a rocky one. That's despite the fact that since 2016, he’s been widely recognized as one of the promotion’s biggest drawing cards.

Essentially, Diaz is a highly unpredictable character who clearly knows what he believes he’s worth. Over the years, he’s been more than willing to sit out to wait for the fights that interest him the most.

Most fighters probably would’ve looked to capitalize on their popularity following two mega-drawing fights with Conor McGregor, for instance. Instead, Diaz walked away from the octagon for the best part of three years, only returning in 2019 for a pair of bouts with Anthony Pettis and Jorge Masvidal.

More recently, Diaz came back in a losing effort against top contender Leon Edwards. Despite a number of reports linking him to a third fight with McGregor, a second bout with Masvidal or even a clash with Dustin Poirier or Khamzat Chimaev, nothing has come to fruition just yet.

It came as no surprise, then, when Diaz took to Twitter last month to demand his release from the UFC entirely, despite only having one fight left on his current deal anyway.

Diaz even went as far as suggesting that he’d tried to contact the promotion’s brass in person but had been unable to. Whether this was to do with his reported interest in fighting for Bellator MMA, the UFC’s biggest competitor, remains a fair question.

Either way, it’s unlikely that the UFC will let one of their big drawing cards simply walk away, so this is a situation worth watching in the near future.