"Maybe make weight" - Mike Breeden, fighter who beat Anshul Jubli at UFC 294, confirms end of contract cycle with the promotion, fans react

Mike Breeden, the American fighter who defeated India's Anshul Jubli, is reportedly no longer in the UFC.

Heading into the fight, Breeden weighed in at 159.5 pounds, about 3.5 pounds over the non-title lightweight bout limit of 156 pounds. Ergo, 'Money' was fined 30 percent of his fight purse, which went to Jubli.

The Indian lightweight prospect agreed to face Breeden despite the latter's significant weight miss. Their back-and-forth fight ended with 'Money' defeating Jubli via third-round KO.

During the post-fight press conference, Mike Breeden revealed that he entered the UFC 294 fight with a staph infection. This, in turn, elicited criticism for Breeden, as many pointed out that he'd concealed the infection from the commission in Abu Dhabi.

During a subsequent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Breeden indicated that he was consuming antibiotics and that the infection wasn't contagious at the time of competition.

Besides, he asserted that he'd been medically cleared to compete at UFC 294. Breeden apologized for missing weight but added that the staph infection and medication caused him to miss weight.

Furthermore, in a tweet posted by Ariel Helwani, the MMA journalist implied that the Anshul Jubli matchup marked the final fight of Mike Breeden's UFC contract. Many fans later took to Twitter (X) to lambast Breeden for missing weight and competing with a staph infection. One fan tweeted:

"Maybe make weight?"

Moreover, many fans emphasized that Breeden had lost his first three fights in the UFC – against Alexander Hernandez, Natan Levy, and Terrance McKinney. The win against Jubli was Breeden's first in the UFC, albeit it was marred by his weight miss and purported staph infection concealment.

Alternatively, some fans expressed their disappointment over Breeden's UFC release, as they were seemingly impressed by his thrilling victory over Jubli.

Check out a few screenshots of the fan reactions to Breeden's UFC release below:

Screenshots of fan reactions

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A closer look at Indian prospect Anshul Jubli's UFC fight against Mike Breeden

Prior to UFC 294, up-and-coming Indian lightweight Anshul Jubli was undefeated in his professional MMA career. 'King of Lions' is just the second Indian fighter to compete in the UFC and the first fighter from the nation to win a UFC fight. On that note, in his fight against Mike Breeden as well, Jubli did showcase his technical striking prowess early on.

Anshul Jubli outworked Mike Breeden in rounds one and two of the striking-heavy matchup, notably opening up a pre-existing cut over the American's eye. However, in round three, Breeden bagged a stunning comeback win by barking and outboxing Jubli to knock him out. Jubli, for his part, has vowed to emerge stronger from the defeat.