Sometimes, standouts from Dana White’s Contender Series simply don’t pan out when they reach the UFC’s main roster.
The most recent example of this is middleweight Dylan “Mindless Hulk” Budka.
Budka took to social media on Tuesday, February 18, to confirm that following his recent first-round KO loss to Edmen Shahbazyan on February 15, he was no longer on the UFC roster.
On Facebook, Budka posted the following message:
As of today, I’m no longer in the UFC.
I dared to be great, and I failed.
That’s what comes with taking the chance.
Everyone prepares to make it to the top, but they don’t prepare for what to do when the top is taken from them.
But I do know I am thankful for my friends, family, and supporters.
I am thankful for my sponsors, my fans, and my partnerships.
And I will continue to promote all the wonderful businesses around me to the fullest I can.
We are in talks with other promotions already, and I will be making the move to welterweight to start the next chapter of my career.
This isn’t over, and my story isn’t done.
I’ll be back where I’m meant to be. I just have to fix some things first.
Just a little bump in the road that I didn’t see on the way to what I wanted.
I love you all, and I can’t wait to fix the mistakes and figure out where my new home is—the place I will be entertaining you all on your screens at home—until we make it back to the UFC again.
Never stop being mindless!
Till next time, world.
Hulk
Budka was the first fighter on my list of guys in danger of being released after losing at UFC Vegas 102. The defeat to Shahbazyan was Budka’s third in a row–with all of the setbacks happening in less than a year.
In fact, the Baltimore City, Maryland, native lost every fight he had since earning a main roster spot with a unanimous decision win over Chad Hanekom in September 2023.
To make matters worse, Budka missed weight ahead of his September 2024 loss to Andre Petroski. It’s the only loss he had in the UFC that went the distance.
Because Budka is only 25, he has time to rebuild himself and make another run at the UFC. From watching his three fights in the UFC, Budka’s striking defense is the area of his game that needs the most work. He often has an edge in wrestling and overall strength, but opponents don’t appear to have trouble connecting on him.
In the losses to Shahbazyan and Cesar Almeida, Budka was simply too easy to hit. He was out-struck by a combined 36-2 in significant strikes.
In the loss to Petroski, Budka ran into an opponent whose wrestling was better, and he was taken down three times en route to the loss.
Budka had some success with Legacy Fighting Alliance, so it’ll be interesting to see if he lands there. The Global Fight League might also be a possibility for Budka. He could potentially secure some solid wins to help re-establish momentum.
For now, it’s time to rebuild.
