Released UFC fighter believes he wasn't ready to compete in the promotion at the time of his debut
Following his recent release from the UFC, former collegiate wrestling standout Deron Winn expressed his thoughts on the unfortunate moment.
Sharing his Christmas Eve thoughts on Twitter, Winn, who is also a longtime friend of MMA legend Daniel Cormier, expressed that he wasn't ready to be in the sport's premier promotion when he arrived:
"My UFC debut was June 22, 2019. I wasn't even close to ready and I can only see that years down the line. You couldn't have paid me to convince me I wasn't ready in 2019."
However, the 33-year-old added that he is far from retiring and is still "strapped in" for the journey to combat sports glory:
"I'm not done fighting. I can't stand the thought of thinking I'm done with the competing portion of my life. This was a huge blow, but I've picked myself up off the ground many times prior to this... I'm still strapped in. Back to the drawing board. See you all in 2023."
(couldn’t post thread so made note)
Xmas eve thoughts 💠(couldn’t post thread so made note) https://t.co/V26mmrhKP0
Although the American's MMA record is a respectable 7-3, his run at the UFC was rather lackluster, with two wins against three losses.
In his last fight in the premier MMA promotion in January 2022, the 33-year-old suffered a second-round TKO loss to Phil Hawes.
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Winn was originally scheduled to face Julian Marquez on December 17 in Las Vegas. However, he was forced out of the bout due to suffering a concussion after fainting during training at the Performance Institute.
News of his release followed shortly after.
Deron Winn shocked by UFC release
In a tweet following his release from the world's leading MMA promotion, former freestyle wrestling standout Deron Winn shared his thoughts on the unexpected turn of events.
Winn suggested that being released from the promotion after suffering a freak accident while training at the company's property, mere weeks before Christmas, was a real-life manifestation of the phrase "it's business, not personal:"
"Being released after a freak accident on their property the week before Christmas. Man 'it’s business not personal' has never been more real"
Fighter removed: Deron WinnBeing released after a freak accident on their property the week before Christmas. Man “it’s business not personal” has never been more real 🤦🏾‍♂️ twitter.com/UFCRosterWatch…
In a statement released on Instagram after being cut from the premier MMA promotion, the 33-year-old revealed that he was going to sit with Daniel Cormier and figure out how to navigate his entry into free agency.