Dana White: We had cut Jake Ellenberger, but he promised to deliver if given another shot at UFC 201

Jake Ellenberger prolonged his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) career last night (Sat., July 30, 2016) by knocking out Matt Brown via liver kick and strikes in the very first round from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

Full video highlights here.

What you probably didn’t know -- but likely assumed -- was that last night could’ve been Jake’s final fight inside the Octagon. That’s according to UFC president Dana White, who told Megan Olivi that the promotion had already cut Ellenberger, but "Juggernaught" convinced him to give him one more shot to prove his worth.

His words via MMA Fighting:

"I didn't know what to expect from him. I said in the standup with [UFC commentator Joe] Rogan before the fights started, if he comes out and does what he's capable of doing, then this is going to be a very fun fight. With the UFC, we had cut him. He flew out to Las Vegas and he met with me and said, 'Don't cut me, please.' He said, 'Give me one more shot. I promise I will come out and deliver.' We put him against Matt Brown and he came out and delivered."

And deliver he did, as Jake floored Brown in the opening seconds of the fight, with the final blow coming later in the round. Prior to his win, Jake was on a two fight skid, losing five of his last six overall.

What’s next for Ellenberger is still up in the air. But, he can reast easy knowing that his walking papers won’t be coming in Monday morning.

Anyone care to lay out a few options for Ellenberger’s next opponent?

For complete UFC 201: "Lawler vs Woodley" results, including real-time play-by-play updates, click here.