UFC parts ways with Jussier Formiga on heels of a three-fight losing streak

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight division just got a bit thinner after the promotion has decided to part ways with long-time veteran, Jussier Formiga, according to MMA Fighting.

The move comes on the heels of Formiga’s three-fight losing streak, which came at the hands of Joseph Benavidez, Brandon Moreno and Alex Perez, who he lost to just this past summer at UFC 250 via first round knockout (see it again here).

Making his Octagon debut in 2012, Formiga — the former Shooto Flyweight champion — came in with a ton of hype and hopes of one day challenging for the UFC title. Unfortunately for the Brazilian standout, things never really worked out for him during his tenure inside the Octagon, going 1-2 in his first three outings, which includes a loss in his debut against John Dodson. After picking up a win over Chris Cariaso in his sophomore effort, he went on to lose to Joseph Benavidez via knockout.

After fighting his way to three straight wins, Formiga, 35, came up short against Henry Cejudo in 2015, once again ending his chances of getting to the big dance. However, Formiga once again went on a nice run from Feb. 2018 to March 2019, winning four straight and setting him up for a title eliminator fight against Benavidez. But once again, “Joe Jitsu” knocked him out, smashing his title hopes in the process.

Interestingly enough, Formiga is the only man who holds a win over current division champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, beating him at UFC on ESPN 6 back in early 2019. At the time of his release, Formiga was the No. 7-ranked 125-pound fighter on UFC’s roster.