UFC releases undefeated prospect months after KO

The roster cuts keep coming.

Today (Mon., Dec. 22, 2025), Sherdog reporter Tom Feely revealed that three more fighters have been removed from UFC active’s roster, meaning they have been released from their respective contracts and/or the promotion decided not to extend them.

And one of the names is a massive head-scratcher.

Rinat Fakhretdinov, Loik Radzhabov, and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos are the three fighters who lost their spots on UFC’s active roster this time around.

The most shocking release by far is Fakhretdinov (24-1-1). The 34-year-old Russian is coming off a 54-second knockout of Andreas Gustafsson at UFC Paris (watch highlights) and was undefeated inside the Octagon, aside from a 2023 draw with Zaleski dos Santos.

Fakhretdinov was once ranked in the UFC Top 15 and compiled six wins under the UFC banner. One of the biggest scalps on his resume came against Kevin Lee, whom he put to sleep in just 55 seconds, effectively sending Lee packing from the promotion (watch highlights).

Given his record — both overall and in the UFC — this release is baffling. The only possible explanation is that several of his decision wins were fairly uneventful, but even then, cutting an undefeated contender fresh off a highlight-reel knockout feels extreme.

Zaleski dos Santos (25-10-1) exits the promotion after 17 UFC fights. The 39-year-old Brazilian is riding a two-fight losing streak, getting finished in both outings.

Still, two wins stand above the rest: his spinning hook kick knockout of Sean Strickland in 2018 (watch highlights) and a brutal, one-sided beatdown of Benoit Saint Denis in 2021. “Capoeira” leaves the UFC with an 11-6-1 record.

Radzhabov (18-6-1) entered the UFC with a huge win over Esteban Ribovics but struggled with consistency afterward. He finishes his UFC run 2-2, having not competed at all in 2025.

The UFC roster churn continues — and this one raised more than a few eyebrows.

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