{"id":391990,"date":"2026-01-06T15:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T15:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/391990\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T15:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T15:42:09","slug":"ufc-parts-ways-with-22-fight-mma-veteran-that-debuted-against-khamzat-chimaev","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/391990\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC parts ways with 22-fight MMA veteran that debuted against Khamzat Chimaev"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Cage Warriors titleholder Rhys McKee is apparently no longer a part of the UFC roster as of the first full week of 2026. <\/p>\n

Currently in the midst of a lengthy break in between the year-ending UFC Vegas 112 and a UFC 324 card that will formally kick off the promotion\u2019s Paramount era<\/a>, the UFC was still making moves over the holiday period and opted not to re-sign Rinat Fakhretdinov<\/a> and two other fighters in late December. <\/p>\n

Fakhretdinov\u2019s exit was particularly surprising given that \u201cGladiator\u201d was coming off a 54-second knockout and was unbeaten inside the Octagon, and now the UFC roster has undergone another update with the removal of McKee. <\/p>\n

Rhys McKee Leaves The UFC For The Second Time<\/p>\n

According to the UFC Roster Tracker <\/a>account, McKee was removed from the UFC roster as of Tuesday, January 6. <\/p>\n

READ MORE: UFC star gets major health update after losing UFC belt to brutal injury<\/a><\/p>\n

Following a strong amateur career where he compiled an 8-3 record over a two-year period, McKee made his professional MMA debut in late 2015 and won via first-round submission. The 30-year-old continued to show off his finishing skills and collected another four victories in 2016, improving to 5-0 when he stopped current UFC lightweight Jai Herbert to win the BAMMA lightweight belt and close out the year.<\/p>\n

\"Rhys<\/p>\n

Rhys McKee (blue gloves) fights Axel Sola (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. | Per Haljestam-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\u201cSkelator\u201d boasted a 7-2-1 record when he joined Cage Warriors in late 2018, and three-straight finishes earned McKee a call to the UFC in 2020. <\/p>\n

Lone UFC Victory Earned McKee A $50K Bonus<\/p>\n

McKee famously debuted against current UFC Middleweight Champion Khamzat Chimaev<\/a> and was stopped in the opening round, and a follow-up loss to Alex Morono brought an end to his initial run with the UFC. <\/p>\n

READ MORE: Will Alex Pereira stay at light heavyweight and fight this former UFC champion?<\/a><\/p>\n

Returning to Cage Warriors, McKee once again scored three-straight wins via stoppage and claimed the promotion\u2019s welterweight belt at Cage Warriors 140. After defending the belt once, the 30-year-old was invited back to the UFC and dropped back-to-back decisions to Ange Loosa and Chidi Njokuani. <\/p>\n

\"Ange<\/p>\n

Ange Loosa (red gloves) fights Rhys McKee (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. | Per Haljestam-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Fight Academy Ireland-product earned a \u201cPerformance of the Night\u201d bonus for his first UFC victory against Daniel Frunza last April, but a loss to the debuting Axel Sola at UFC Paris brought his overall Octagon record to 1-5 across his two stints with the promotion. <\/p>\n

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