UFC roster watch: Two light heavyweights removed from the roster after lopsided losses at UFC Vegas 69

In a move that is unlikely to surprise many, William Knight has been removed from the UFC roster following a lackluster performance at UFC Vegas 69. The light heavyweight landed just eight of his 33 strikes thrown during the three-round bout, losing to Marcin Prachnio by unanimous decision. Following the bout, the promotion chose not to renew his contract, which had expired.

Damon Martin of MMA Fighting announced the decision on Twitter, stating:

"William Knight has been removed from the UFC roster following the completion of his contract, per UFC officials. Obviously he could always be re-signed at a later date but as of now, he’s no longer on the roster."

William Knight leaves the UFC with a 3-4 promotional record, including losses in his last three bouts. He received a contract following knockout victories in both season 24 and season 31 of Dana White's Contender Series. 'Knightmare' holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 11-5.

Additionally, Jordan Wright finds himself as a mixed martial arts free agent as the UFC chose not to renew his contract following UFC Vegas 69. While the light heavyweight had more output than Knight, he landed just 29 of his 78 strikes thrown during his three-round bout against Zac Pauga.

Damon Martin announced the move, stating:

"Jordan Wright has also been removed from the UFC roster following the completion of his contract, per UFC officials. #UFC"

Wright made his promotional debut as an undefeated fighter in 2020, however, he won just two of his seven fights in the UFC. He departs with a mixed martial arts record of 12-5 (1), however, he has lost his last four bouts.

Check out Damon Martin's tweets announcing the roster moves below:

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William Knight claims he froze in UFC Vegas 69 performance

William Knight's performance at UFC Vegas 69 was shocking as he did not appear interested in engaging with his opponent. The mixed martial arts free agent took to Instagram following the fight, claiming that he froze in the octagon:

"At the end of the day, I went out there, froze up, I didn’t do my part, I lost the fight... Some of y’all want me to win, some of y’all bet on me, I understand. I completely get it. In life, human beings aren’t perfect, but I’m taking ownership of my actions because I didn’t do s**t. Exactly what happened. I stood there, I froze, and I take full responsibility."

Knight further shared that he has received threats on his life following his lackluster performance. It remains unclear what the light heavyweight's plans are following his removal from the UFC roster.

Watch William Knight's comments on UFC Vegas 69 below: