After his third weight miss with the promotion—and second in a row—Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Volkanovski vs. Team Ortega winner Bryan Battle has been cut from the UFC.
Many had speculated that Battle’s UFC career was in jeopardy after he weighed in at 190 pounds for his scheduled middleweight bout against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC 319. Having already missed weight in his previous bout against Randy “Rude Boy” Brown, Battle had moved up from the 170-pound welterweight limit to the 185-pound middleweight limit, believing the change in weight class would eliminate any issues with weight cutting.
Speaking on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Battle addressed the weight miss:
“I thought it was going to be a walk in the park, but things just went south.”
When asked if something was wrong with his body, Battle responded:
“There’s going to have to be some lifestyle changes. There’s some stuff that I didn’t have to do that I have to do now.”
Shortly after the interview the UFC would release Bryan Battle from contract, in a surprise Battle is set to make a quick turn around for the “Dirty Boxing Championship” Promotion on August 29th.
What are they suppose to do? : Expert speaks on Bryan Battle being cut
Former MMA referee and the “man who wrote the rules,” Big John McCarthy, spoke about Bryan Battle’s recent weight miss during a segment of his podcast Weighing In with former Strikeforce champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson.
When the topic of TUF winner Bryan Battle being cut from the promotion after his third weight miss came up, Big John didn’t hold back:
“They’re going to give everyone a one, maybe even a two. They gave him three. Three strikes, you’re out.”
He then explained the basic expectations for fighters:
“Be on time, make weight, fight your ass off. Those are your goddamn fucking rules of being a fighter. When they cannot rely on you to come in and make weight, they cannot rely on you. What are they supposed to do?”
Despite the tough criticism, Big John followed up with some kind words about Battle:
“I love Bryan Battle as a fighter. I think he’s fun to watch. I like him on the mic. I think he’s tough as hell.”
Many fighters have been cut from the UFC only to return and go on successful runs, including winning a belt. Bryan Battle was a fan favorite before his untimely departure from the UFC. With something to prove in his next outing, Battle has some work to do before possibly returning to the UFC.
🚨 Bryan Battle has signed with Dirty Boxing for a fight at 185lbs! 🚨
Fresh off his run in the UFC, Battle is making his next move — stepping into the DBX ring at Dirty Boxing 3 on August 29th in Miami Florida 🩸🔥
A new chapter begins, and it’s going to be violent.
🎟 Get… pic.twitter.com/yR9xc5UAnV
— Dirty Boxing Championship (@DirtyBoxing_) August 22, 2025
