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?
Two big removals from the UFC.com rankings pool/roster: Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem
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.
#5. Ovince Saint Preux – UFC light heavyweight
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.
Tanner Boser stops Ovince St. Preux in the second round! 💥
#UFCVegas30 https://t.co/rs1eyTQUc3
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.