Beloved UFC fan favorite and four other fighters removed in latest UFC roster update

Five fighters have been removed from the UFC’s official roster, including one that retired following a loss at UFC Paris last weekend.

The UFC roster is in near-constant flux given the promotion’s torrid schedule of events, and with this year’s season of Dana White’s Contender Series in full swing it’s no surprise when some fighters are removed to make room for the new ones that Dana White is handing contracts out to each week.

First reported by Tom Feely, the latest round of UFC roster updates included the removal of five fighters; Austin Hubbard, Maheshate, Preston Parsons, Maryna Moroz, and recently-retired UFC veteran Paul Craig.

Austin Hubbard & Maheshate Exit UFC After Losses In Shanghai

News of Hubbard and Maheshate’s respective removals from the roster comes just weeks after they both competed at UFC Shanghai, where they dropped unanimous decisions to Rongzhu and Gauge Young.

The loss to Young was Maheshate’s second in a row after he also dropped a decision to Nikolas Motta last November. A contract winner on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, the 25-year-old went 2-4 during his time with the UFC.

Austin Hubbard (red gloves) fights Alexander Hernandez (blue gloves) during UFC 307 at Delta Center. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Hubbard initially competed with the UFC from 2019-2021 and returned to the promotion after he reached the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 31 and was submitted by Kurt Holobaugh at UFC 292. “Thud” defeated Michael Figlak in April of last year before dropping three-straight decisions to Alexander Hernandez, Marquel Mederos, and Rongzhu.

Maryna Moroz Currently Serving Suspension, Preston Parsons Last Fought In January

Parsons’ UFC run comes to an end after he went 2-4 with the promotion since his 2021 debut, while Moroz’s exit comes the week after “Iron Lady” received a one-year suspension for violating the UFC’s Anti-Doping Policy.

A member of the UFC roster since 2015, Moroz upset Joanne Wood with a first-round armbar in her promotional debut and later went on to win three-straight fights between 2019 and 2022.

Marina Moroz (blue gloves) fights Joanne Wood (red gloves) during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. — Maryna Moroz (blue gloves) fights Joanne Wood (red gloves) during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

That winning run came to an end when the 34-year-old dropped a decision to Jennifer Maia before she was submitted by Karine Silva, and at UFC 299 she came out on the wrong end of the scorecards in a rematch with Wood.

Paul Craig Announced MMA Retirement At UFC Paris

The news about Moroz may not come as a massive shock given her three-fight skid and recent suspension, and Craig’s removal from the UFC roster is more of a formality than anything else following his loss to Modestas Bukauskas last weekend.

“Bearjew” last got his hand raised when he stopped Andre Muniz with ground and pound in July of 2023, and that result was unfortunately followed by three-straight losses before a controversial No Contest against Rodolfo Bellato in June.

Paul Craig (blue gloves) reacts after the fight against Modestas Bukauskas (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. | Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

Craig announced his retirement immediately after a nasty knockout loss to Bukasuskas last weekend at UFC Paris. The 37-year-old exits the sport following a lengthy UFC run that includes wins over former light heavyweight champions Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Jamahal Hill, as well as current divisional titleholder Magomed Ankalev.

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