But for now, only one fighter has been removed from the UFC’s active roster: Julija Stoliarenko. That means the Lithuanian veteran has either been released from her contract or not re-signed by the promotion.
Stoliarenko (11-9-2) entered the UFC in Aug. 2020 as the reigning Invicta FC bantamweight champion but stumbled out of the gate, dropping three straight to Yana Kunitskaya, Julia Avila, and Alexis Davis. (She also fainted on the weight scale during this run.)
With her back against the wall and fighting out her contract, Stoliarenko secured a clutch upset at UFC 276, submitting Jessica-Rose Clark with her trademark armbar. The victory earned her a new deal, but consistency never followed. She was stopped by Chelsea Chandler in her return (watch highlights), then scored the biggest win of her career by tapping Molly McCann with — you guessed it — another armbar at UFC London in 2023 (watch highlights).
Unfortunately for the 32-year-old, that would be her final Octagon victory. She dropped her last two appearances, including a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Gabriella Fernandes at UFC Vegas 109 just recently.
Stoliarenko leaves the promotion with a UFC record of 2-6. PFL next?
Expect more UFC roster cuts in the coming weeks as the promotion makes room for the new crop of Contender Series contract winners
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.