UFC releases: Is Darren Till cut from the promotion?

It was recently revealed that Darren Till was one of three fighters removed from the UFC roster. The famed automated Twitter bot account UFC Roster Watch confirmed the news, naming lightweight Zubaira Tukhugov and bantamweight Jose Johnson as the other two fighters who will now be free agents.

While news of 'The Gorilla' being cut from the promotion makes waves across the MMA community, there is yet to be an official confirmation from the UFC.

When the automated bot tweets out a fighter's name, it could mean one of several things. Generally, it signals that a fighter has either formally parted ways with the promotion or their contract has expired. Fighters can also be removed if they take an extended break from action or exit the USADA drug testing pool.

While one can only speculate, considering Till's less-than-impressive record in the promotion and his bad luck with injuries, it wouldn't be too surprising if the Englishman has either run down his contract or has opted to take a long break. Darren Till and his team are yet to comment on the reports, and while his status in the UFC is uncertain, MMA fans have begun fearing the worst.

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Darren Till released: Who are the three fighters removed from the UFC roster?

The UFC has seemingly let go of three fighters. With Darren Till being the most prominent departure, it was reported that lightweight Zubaira Tukhugov and bantamweight Jose Johnson have also been removed from the organization.

'The Gorilla' made his promotional debut in 2015 as a highly touted welterweight prospect. Darren Till quickly ascended the rankings and unsuccessfully challenged Tyron Woodley for the championship at UFC 228. Unfortunately, the Englishman was on a three-fight losing skid before being removed from the promotion, last tasting victory against Kelvin Gastelum in 2019.

Tukhugov joined the UFC in 2014, winning his debut and the next two fights before falling to Renato Moicano at UFC 198. The 32-year-old Russian was on an unimpressive run, with two losses, two wins, and one draw in his last five outings. Apart from that, he has missed weight in two of his last three outings. Tukhugov last fought Elves Brenner at UFC 284, losing via split decision.

The third fighter to be removed was a bantamweight who hadn't made his official debut yet. Johnson secured a UFC contract after a decision win against Jack Cartwright in Dana White's Contender Series last year. However, the 27-year-old American could never make his debut as he pulled out of both his scheduled fights due to health issues.