Sage Northcutt and 4 other UFC fighters on win streaks who weren't re-signed
The UFC prioritizes success and entertainment. Thus, the promotion's fighters must reflect those values. Mixed martial artists who hope to have a long tenure in the UFC are expected to win more often than lose. An additional, but not required, condition is how entertaining a fighter is.
Whether that entails their ability to generate hype via trash talk or having an all-action fighting style varies. So naturally, fighters who find themselves on the end of multiple losses are typically released, or at the very least, the promotion doesn't bother re-signing them once their contracts expire.
But sometimes, the promotion lets go of fighters who were on win streaks, either opting against re-signing them or releasing them outright. The reason varies from the fighters in question not living up to the standards expected of them or not being entertaining enough for the promotion to bother keeping them around.
#5. Maiquel Falcão, former UFC middleweight
Over a decade ago, the UFC welcomed a brutal finisher who achieved tremendous success on the Brazilian regional scene. Back in 2010, the late Maiquel Falcão was signed by the promotion. There was a measure of expectation for his debut, as he sported a record of 25 wins, three losses and one no-contest.
Furthermore, his 25 wins consisted of 22 knockouts, two submissions and just one decision. So both the fans and the promotion were hoping for a finish, especially as Falcão hadn't gone to a decision in six years at the time. So when he faced Gerald Harris at UFC 123, fans were left sorely disappointed.
Falcão, a man who hadn't gone to a decision since his third-ever MMA bout, did nothing of note in the bout, except not letting go of a rear-naked choke after the end of round one. While the Brazilian was victorious, it was a luckluster win. Days later, Falcão was arrested in Brazil for assaulting a woman outside of a nightclub.
Despite his 8-fight win streak, the promotion showed zero tolerance for his behavior and eventually released him after failing to book him for two other fights.
#4. Kyoji Horiguchi, former UFC flyweight
Kyoji Horiguchi is one of the best Japanese fighters to ever make it to the UFC. He made his promotional debut in 2013 on a five-fight win streak, where he locked horns with Dustin Pague in the flyweight division. 'The Typhoon' was immediately successful, scoring four consecutive wins.
For his efforts, Kyoji Horiguchi earned a title shot against all-time great Demetrious Johnson. While he started off well, 'The Typhoon' was overcome and the fight grew increasingly one-sided, before 'Mighty Mouse' caught him in an armbar to score the latest finish in the promotion's history.
Despite the loss, Horiguchi rebounded with a three-fight win streak. However, the Japanese star opted against re-signing with the promotion after being displeased with the promotion's offer, as they hadn't done enough to retain him.
#3. Gegard Mousasi, former UFC middleweight
One of the most skilled 185-pounders in the world, who has captured titles in Cage Warriors, DREAM, Strikeforce and Bellator, never managed to reach championship status in the organization that stands above them all: the UFC. Gegard Mousasi is a decorated fighter, but the crown jewel of MMA has always eluded him.
While his initial run in the promotion was spotty, he eventually amassed an impressive win streak, including victories over former UFC champions Vitor Belfort and Chris Weidman. After five consecutive wins, the Dutchman felt he had decent leverage to negotiate a stronger contract with the promotion.
Unfortunately, they weren't too keen on it, lowballing him with an offer that he found unacceptable. Even worse, the promotion told him there was no negotiation. He could either take their offer or leave it, causing him to leave it in favor of greener pastures in Bellator.
#2. Sage Northcutt, former UFC lightweight/welterweight
There was a time when Sage Northcutt was regarded, at least by the UFC, as the future of MMA. He was young, extremely athletic, and had a highly decorated martial arts background, consisting of a first-degree black belt in Shuri-ryū, a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and a fourth-degree black belt in Kajukenbo.
After impressing Dana White, 'Super Sage,' then undefeated, signed with the UFC, scoring two quick finishes in his promotional debut and sophomore fight, bringing his record to a flawless 7-0. But a 1-2 run quickly followed, prompting the promotion to pump the brakes on the massive push he'd been given.
Nevertheless, Northcutt rebounded from his second loss by embarking on a three-fight win streak. But after his contract expired, the promotion elected against re-signing him, claiming that he needed to improve before being brought back into the fold.
#1. Francis Ngannou, former UFC heavyweight
While Jon Jones is now the heavyweight champion, he never actually dethroned Francis Ngannou for the title. The record-breaking knockout artist was instead of stripped of his title after he and the promotion couldn't agree on terms for his next contract.
Ngannou wanted the freedom to pursue boxing fights and other conditions that the promotion was unwilling to bend on. This led to the two parting ways, despite the fact that 'The Predator' was on a six-fight win streak, complete with five knockouts, with his final win being over former interim champion Ciryl Gane.
Regardless of his six-fight win streak, Ngannou was still not re-signed by the promotion, who was content to allow him to go on and sign a historic contract with the PFL.