The UFC has released Bryan Battle.
The 30-year-old former winner of the Ultimate Fighter and missed weight for the second time in as many fights ahead of his UFC 319 clash with Nursulton Ruziboev, causing the bout to be scratched from the card.
Battle’s promotional run just days after his latest weigh-in mishap. The North Carolina native was set to fight at middleweight against Ruziboev but tipped the scales at 190 pounds—four pounds over the non-title limit—forcing the fight to be canceled.
This wasn’t the first time Battle’s weight became an issue.
He previously came in heavy for a December 2024 welterweight bout with Randy Brown, though he still managed to win the fight. That miss, combined with a long layoff, left questions around his ability to stay disciplined in the cut to 170.
While he expressed interest in eventually returning to welterweight, he accepted the middleweight opportunity only to again miss the contracted weight.
In total, Battle missed weight three times during his UFC tenure. Despite those setbacks, he departs the promotion with a respectable 7-1 record and one no contest, including a current three-fight win streak.
Dana White and the UFC takes repeated weight-cutting failures seriously–especially when bouts fall apart on fight week and when the mishaps cover multiple divisions.
Battle talked about his weight miss on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday.
Battle captured The Ultimate Fighter crown to launch his UFC career and quickly earned a reputation as an entertaining, forward-pressing fighter. Now, the question becomes whether he can regroup, address his weight issues, and eventually earn a path back to the roster—or if he’ll continue his career in another promotion.
Battle’s tendency for missing weight is unprofessional, but it’s also a bit layered considering he’s been heavy enough to fight at heavyweight in the past. He once weighed more than 300 pounds after high school.
It took a ton of work to get to welterweight, but he is obviously struggling to make 170.
However, also missing weight at 185–and by as much as four pounds–makes it harder to see his plight. Can he rebuild trust with the UFC and find a way to get back into the promotion?
It is tough to say. He does have a fan-pleasing fight style, so that works in his favor. But I’m not sure he has established himself as a big enough draw to convince the UFC he’s worth the risk.
