5 UFC fighters who could be released in 2022

The UFC’s roster is an ever-changing, fluid beast and therefore it makes complete sense that each year sees a number of big-name fighters come and go.

2021 saw the UFC’s roster lose a number of major names, including Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos, but who might depart in 2022?

The truth is that barring superstars like Conor McGregor, no UFC fighter is fully safe on the roster, particularly highly-paid veterans who might’ve fallen on hard times somewhat.

With that considered, here are five UFC fighters who could be released in 2022.

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#5. Ovince Saint Preux – UFC light heavyweight

Ovince St. Preux's best days now appear to be behind him

It doesn’t feel that long ago that Ovince Saint Preux was fighting Jon Jones for the interim UFC light heavyweight title. In fact, by the time next April rolls around, it will have been six years since that bout.

‘OSP’ has seen his fair share of ups and downs in the years that have followed. However, it’s probably safe to say that the native of Tennessee now appears to be on the downswing of his career with the UFC. Sure, he impressed in his knockout win over Alonzo Menifield last September, but that win now stands as his only in his last four bouts dating back to May 2020.

Based on what he showed in his losses to Ben Rothwell and Tanner Boser, his move to heavyweight seems unlikely to revitalize his career. More worryingly, it also seems that he may not be capable of making the 205-pound light heavyweight limit at this stage.

When you also consider the fact that as a tenured veteran, it’s been estimated that he makes a base pay that is upwards of $100k, ‘OSP’ sounds just like the kind of fighter that the UFC will probably look to trim from their roster.

Saint Preux clearly has at least one bout remaining on his current deal with the UFC. He was scheduled to fight Philipe Lins earlier this month, but withdrew due to an injury, forcing the promotion to scrap the bout.

That means we’re likely to see him at some point in 2022, but should he lose, it seems highly likely that it’ll signal the end of his tenure with the UFC.

#4. Edson Barboza – UFC featherweight

Edson Barboza has been responsible for some classic UFC moments, but his time on the roster may be coming to an end

On the face of it, it seems crazy to think that the UFC would consider releasing Edson Barboza. After all, the Brazilian is arguably one of the most exciting fighters to emerge in the promotion over the last decade and he’s been responsible for a number of genuinely iconic finishes.

However, look a little deeper and the Brazilian is exactly the type of fighter that might see his spot on the UFC’s roster in danger during 2022.

Firstly, the fact that he’s been responsible for so many memorable moments stands as a marker of how long he’s been with the UFC. He's been a part of the promotion for well over a decade, having debuted with the promotion in November 2010. Not only does that mean that he’s now one of the more highly paid fighters on the roster, but it also means that he’s getting past his best at this point.

Secondly, while he’s still capable of beating tough fighters, as his wins over Shane Burgos and Makwan Amirkhani showed, he’s also 2-4 in his last six bouts and was badly knocked out by Giga Chikadze in his last octagon appearance.

Could Barboza turn things around in 2022? It is possible, but given that his high profile means that the UFC are likely to match him with a tricky foe, there’s probably a higher chance that he'll come away from his next bout with another loss.

If that’s the case, the UFC may decide that, at 35 years old, Barboza is simply too expensive to be taking up a spot on the roster and let him go.

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#3. Kelvin Gastelum – UFC middleweight

Kelvin Gastelum has simply not reached his potential in the UFC

A handful of years ago, it looked like Kelvin Gastelum was probably a surefire bet to hold UFC gold at some point during his career. The winner of TUF 17 defeated the likes of Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo Souza and Michael Bisping. He then narrowly lost in his first attempt to claim a title, coming up short against Israel Adesanya in an interim UFC middleweight title bout.

However, since then, he’s struggled greatly, to the point that the native of Arizona may well find himself on the chopping block at some point in 2022. Essentially, you can probably separate Gastelum’s UFC tenure into two parts, before and after his fight with Adesanya.

The bout was an instant classic, but since then, he’s put together a record of 1-4, with his lone win coming against Ian Heinisch back in February.

Gastelum has only been finished in one of those losses, but despite giving Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier tricky fights, he now seems miles away from the UFC middleweight title shot he once craved.

At the age of 30, Gastelum may be able to rejuvenate his UFC career with a big win or two, but his status as a veteran headliner means that it’s unlikely the promotion will give him a softball opponent any time soon.

Given that his base pay is estimated at around $150k, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the UFC to simply decide he’s too expensive to be kept around as a gatekeeper, meaning he could be handed his pink slip if he loses his first bout of 2022.

#2. Ben Rothwell – UFC heavyweight

Ben Rothwell's lengthy tenure with the UFC may be about to end in 2022

Ben Rothwell, one of the most experienced fighters on the UFC roster, has not only spent over a decade competing in the octagon, but his MMA career overall dates back to 2001, meaning 2022 will mark the beginning of his third decade in the sport.

All of this begs a simple question: How much longer can ‘Big Ben’ hold onto his spot on the UFC roster? Unfortunately for the veteran, the answer may be not for much longer.

Rothwell is still capable of beating opponents in the octagon. He came out on top against Chris Barnett as recently as May and is actually 3-2 in his last five bouts with the UFC.

However, look a little deeper and things aren’t all that rosy. His wins over Ovince Saint Preux and Stefan Struve didn’t come without controversy and if his recent loss to Marcos Rogerio de Lima is anything to go by, his once-iron chin may be starting to fail him.

More to the point, UFC fans may once have considered him a must-see fighter due to his penchant for brawling, but as his career has gone on, he seems to be more likely to put on a slow-paced, plodding fight instead.

Add in the fact that ‘Big Ben’ is estimated to be earning upwards of $150k for each fight and it definitely feels like he’s the kind of fighter who may be released in 2022.

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#1. Jeremy Stephens – UFC lightweight

It may be tricky for the UFC to justify keeping Jeremy Stephens for much longer

Once considered one of the most dangerous fighters in both the UFC’s lightweight and featherweight divisions, to say that Jeremy Stephens has now fallen on hard times would be an understatement.

It seems hard to believe, but ‘Lil Heathen’ last won a bout in the UFC way back in February 2018 when he stopped Josh Emmett. Since then, he’s lost a total of five fights, with the sixth going to a no contest when he suffered an eye poke at the hands of Yair Rodriguez.

Essentially, a skid like that would usually be enough to see any fighter given their walking papers from the promotion, but it seems likely that Stephens has been kept around because he’s a favorite of UFC president Dana White and because he tends to put on exciting fights.

Whether those two facts can ensure he stays around much longer, however, is anyone’s guess.

‘Lil Heathen’ isn’t the most expensive fighter on the UFC’s roster, earning an estimated $67k per fight. However, given the promotion wants to showcase the best talent in the world, it’s hard to justify keeping a fighter on such a lengthy losing streak around.

At the age of 35, it’s unlikely that Stephens is going to improve, meaning that his slide may well continue, resulting in his release in 2022.