The UFC appear to be embarking on an internal clean-up operation as we head into the final few months of 2012, with another three fighters now confirmed to have been released from the organization.
First up is Rich Attonito who last fought in December, losing by TKO to Jimmy Hettes. Despite having lost two of his last three fights that’s not what got the TUF season 11 competitor cut from the promotion.
Instead, it turns out that he angered UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva by agreeing to take a short-notice fight with Gunnar Nelson at ‘UFC On Fuel TV 5’, then the next day revealing that he wouldn’t be able to make the 170lb limit. He then made matters worse by agreeing to a 175lb catchweight and then a day after that confessing that he couldn’t make that either.
That was apparently the last straw for Silva. Incidentally, Attonito’s replacement DaMarques Johnson would also be released from the UFC after he agreed to fight at the 175lb catchweight and then tipped the scales at 183lbs on the day before the fight.
Meanwhile, Carlo Prater has also been shown the door by the UFC.
The veteran fighter’s release is not too surprising given that he had lost his last two fights, and his solitary win in the UFC came about only because Erick Silva was DQ’d for hitting the back of his head during a 29 second beatdown in Rio at the start of the year.
Finally we have the unfortunate tale of Geronimo ‘Mondragon’ dos Santos.. If you can’t remember the well-seasoned heavyweight fighter competing in the UFC then don’t worry, your memory isn’t failing you.
‘Mondragon’ had been all-set to make his UFC debut against Gabriel Gonzaga at this weekend’s event, however during a pre-fight blood test it was discovered that the 32 year-old has Hepatitis B antibodies in his system.
It turns out that he contracted the disease when he was 18, but had since recovered from it. The virus has remained dormant in his body however and so that makes him ineligible to fight and as such he’s been released from his contract.
The Brazilian is said to be devastated by the news, but all hope is not lost. There is a 12-month treatment available to him which would remove the virus from his system and the UFC have confirmed that if he does so and is able to pass a medical then he would be allowed back into the organization.
