We’ve learned over the past few years that the UFC cuts fighters in small waves of three to five at a time. Usually, you see the names and you’re like “yeah, I saw that coming.” Other times, the names on the cut reports raise your eyebrows a bit. Wednesday’s news was one of those other times. Respected veteran welterweight Ange Loosa was among four fairly well-known fighters to be removed from the UFC’s active roster, per UFC Roster News.
The move comes just over three weeks after Loosa suffered the only stoppage loss of his pro MMA career against Phil Rowe on June 14 in Atlanta.
Loosa’s release is especially tough to swallow because he appeared to be headed for a victory via decision after holding a noticeable edge in significant strikes through the first two rounds. Loosa was fatigued and he didn’t fight smart in the third round.
He chose to stand in the pocket against a fighter who had a massive height and reach advantage. He paid the price and suffered a brutal KO loss as Rowe held his face against the Octagon fence and pounded away before releasing the clinch-and-bang sequence, allowing Loosa to fall forward to the canvas. In case you missed it, take a look at the finish.
After the loss, Loosa took to Instagram and wrote:
Toughest loss I’ve taken, no excuses. I took it, I felt it, my faith stays strong. Adjustments will be made.
It’s been a tough stretch for Loosa overall. He hadn’t won since he scored a unanimous decision win over Rhys McKee in September 2023. Since that win, he had a no-contest in March 2024 against Bryan Battle which ended after Loosa suffered an eye poke that he couldn’t recover from during the fight. Loosa also dropped a unanimous decision to Gabriel Bonfim in July 2024. Despite his activity and pedigree as a member of Kill Cliff FC, the UFC moved on from Loosa.
These kinds of roster moves are nothing new for the UFC, especially when a fighter isn’t on a winning streak or doesn’t have an obvious path to title contention.
With more events on the calendar than ever, the promotion often trims the middle and bottom tiers of its divisions to make space for rising prospects from Dana White’s Contender Series or international circuits. That pattern, combined with a lackluster recent stretch, likely contributed to Loosa’s exit.
The welterweight division has its share of top contenders, young up-and-comers like Michael Morales and a new champion in Jack Della Maddalena. There’s also Islam Makhachev who is new to the division, but set to challenge JDM for his title.
To put it plainly, the UFC isn’t desperate for 170-pound contenders which could explain why Loosa would be expendable.
When you add in the looming returns of fighters like Shavkat Rakhmonov, the potential for someone like Ian Garry to make a leap, the division is loaded. Loosa had some good moments in the UFC, but in this kind of climate, those don’t always translate to job security.
Loosa is just 31. He has time to rebound and make another run. In his Instagram post after the loss to Rowe, he said he would make adjustments and be back. I’m sure he thought that would be in the UFC. As it is, he may need to rebuild and impress before getting another shot in the Octagon.
Promotions like the PFL might offer a fresh start, especially if Loosa can secure a few dominant wins on the regional circuit.