Two veteran UFC fighters were removed from the roster as Gilbert Burns and Michael Chiesa are no longer members of the organization.
According to UFC Roster Watch, which monitors additions and subtractions to the official UFC roster, the world’s leading MMA promotion has officially removed Burns and Chiesa. These two fighters recently announced their retirements from fighting, so their removals from the official roster come more as a formality than anything else. But it also essentially means that, if they do change their minds and fight again, they likely won’t be doing so under the UFC banner.
Gilbert Burns Retired Following UFC Winnipeg
Burns retired after a knockout loss to Mike Malott in the main event of UFC Winnipeg earlier this month. The 39-year-old Brazilian first joined the UFC in 2014, and he ended up fighting 25 times inside the Octagon, racking up a 15-10 overall record while fighting at the highest level of the sport.
At one point, Burns was an elite welterweight fighter, having fought former champion Kamaru Usman for the belt in 2021. He lost that fight, but he had plenty of notable wins throughout his UFC career. Some of his big victories include: Jorge Masvidal, Neil Magny, Stephen Thompson, Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia, Gunnar Nelson, and Olivier-Aubin Mercier.
Burns lost his last five fights in his career, including three knockout defeats during that five-fight span. Overall, he had a very good MMA career, and he may eventually get into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing for his all-out war with Khamzat Chimaev in 2022, which is one of the best fights of the decade.
Burns has already spoken about his next move in recent interviews, mentioning that he wants to become an MMA manager who can help lend advice to the next crop of UFC fighters.
Michael Chiesa Retired Following UFC Seattle
Chiesa, meanwhile, joined the UFC in 2012 when he competed on “The Ultimate Fighter: Live,” winning the show and a UFC contract with a submission win over Al Iaquinta in the finals. Ever since then, Chiesa has been a staple of the UFC roster, racking up an overall record of 15-7. His notable victories include Tony Ferguson, Rafael dos Anjos, Diego Sanchez, Carlos Condit, Beneil Dariush, and Jim Miller.
A native of Washington state, Chiesa hung up his gloves at UFC Seattle last month. Unlike Burns, who ended his career on a five-fight losing skid, Chiesa had four straight wins to end his career. He was still fighting at a high level, but at age 38, he wanted to step away from the sport before things went downhill, which is commendable, as many MMA fighters don’t retire until it’s too late.
The good news for Chiesa is that he already has his post-fighting future figured out. He is a staple of the UFC analyst desk, and he has done color commentary for some events, including Dana White’s Contender Series. Look for Chiesa to get the chance to commentate on a UFC event in the future, as he can lend his experience and knowledge of the sport to the commentary booth.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post UFC Removes Two Veteran Fighters From Roster appeared first on HEAVY.