Tony
06-10-2009, 09:47
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MGQIyBj3I2c/Sshl1s5iQkI/AAAAAAAAJuk/y4Cn3s4NMxI/s400/franca+wilson+aurelio+mccully.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MGQIyBj3I2c/Sshl1s5iQkI/AAAAAAAAJuk/y4Cn3s4NMxI/s1600-h/franca+wilson+aurelio+mccully.jpg)
MMA Survival is the first to report that the UFC have informed four veterans of their releases. The most noteworthy name is that of longtime octagon resident, Hermes Franca. In addition to Franca, Chris Wilson, Marcus Aurelio, and Justin McCully were released.
Franca looked to be in the worst shape of his fighting career coming into his bout with Tyson Griffin. He failed to make weight, and then was pounded out in the 2nd round. Franca has been unable to capture the magic that propelled him towards a title shot with Sean Sherk. Franca had racked up wins over Jamie Varner, Nate Diaz, and Spencer Fisher before losing to Sherk. Franca was also busted for steroids following the bout.
Chris Wilson was also put on notice after he was denied clearance for his bout with Brock Larson at UFC 98. He put the UFC in a tough bind, forcing Mike Pyle to come in on 48 hours notice. Wilson coincidentally lost to Pyle at Fight Night 19, which was Wilson's second straight loss. Wilson debuted in the UFC against Jon Fitch, and impressed many by pushing Fitch to a decision. Wilson holds prior wins over Jay Hieron and Rory Markham, but he only posted a 1-3 record in the UFC.
Marcus Aurelio put on a great fight in his return to the octagon at UFC 103. Aurelio stepped up to fight Evan Dunham on late notice, and the two fighters battled to a close decision. Despite a 2-4 record in the UFC, it's a bit of surprise he was released after stepping up to the plate. Aurelio, best known for his win over Takanori Gomi in Pride, had a difficult time when he stepped up in competition, losing to Dunham, Tyson Griffin, Clay Guida, and Hermes Franca.
Justin McCully's tenure with the UFC was not filled with much excitement. His best fight was probably against Eddie Sanchez, but he wasn't exactly a fan favorite due to his knack for laying and praying. McCully lost his last fight against newcomer Mike Russow, in an uneventful fight that basically saw McCully failing to once against mount much offense. In McCully's defense he did post a win over Antoni Hardonk, though Hardonk was a novice on the ground.
With the UFC bringing in a litany of new talent, additional cuts are expected. The UFC has been overly cautious as of late due to Strikeforce's own free agent signing spree. Franca and Aurelio could definitely become factors in Strikeforce's thin lightweight division.
MMA Survival is the first to report that the UFC have informed four veterans of their releases. The most noteworthy name is that of longtime octagon resident, Hermes Franca. In addition to Franca, Chris Wilson, Marcus Aurelio, and Justin McCully were released.
Franca looked to be in the worst shape of his fighting career coming into his bout with Tyson Griffin. He failed to make weight, and then was pounded out in the 2nd round. Franca has been unable to capture the magic that propelled him towards a title shot with Sean Sherk. Franca had racked up wins over Jamie Varner, Nate Diaz, and Spencer Fisher before losing to Sherk. Franca was also busted for steroids following the bout.
Chris Wilson was also put on notice after he was denied clearance for his bout with Brock Larson at UFC 98. He put the UFC in a tough bind, forcing Mike Pyle to come in on 48 hours notice. Wilson coincidentally lost to Pyle at Fight Night 19, which was Wilson's second straight loss. Wilson debuted in the UFC against Jon Fitch, and impressed many by pushing Fitch to a decision. Wilson holds prior wins over Jay Hieron and Rory Markham, but he only posted a 1-3 record in the UFC.
Marcus Aurelio put on a great fight in his return to the octagon at UFC 103. Aurelio stepped up to fight Evan Dunham on late notice, and the two fighters battled to a close decision. Despite a 2-4 record in the UFC, it's a bit of surprise he was released after stepping up to the plate. Aurelio, best known for his win over Takanori Gomi in Pride, had a difficult time when he stepped up in competition, losing to Dunham, Tyson Griffin, Clay Guida, and Hermes Franca.
Justin McCully's tenure with the UFC was not filled with much excitement. His best fight was probably against Eddie Sanchez, but he wasn't exactly a fan favorite due to his knack for laying and praying. McCully lost his last fight against newcomer Mike Russow, in an uneventful fight that basically saw McCully failing to once against mount much offense. In McCully's defense he did post a win over Antoni Hardonk, though Hardonk was a novice on the ground.
With the UFC bringing in a litany of new talent, additional cuts are expected. The UFC has been overly cautious as of late due to Strikeforce's own free agent signing spree. Franca and Aurelio could definitely become factors in Strikeforce's thin lightweight division.