The UFC heavyweight division has undergone immense scrutiny in the last few weeks. For that, the promotion has taken significant strides in releasing a few fighters. And after a brutal firing spree, as it seems, the UFC is looking to make some interesting additions to the division.

“Former Bellator/PFL heavyweight Tyrell Fortune has signed with the UFC,” wrote COMBAT SPORTS TODAY on X. “And is in talks to fight Marcin Tybura at #UFCSeattle on March 28th, stepping in for Valter Walker, per @dsk_mma. If Marcin turns down the fight, Tyrell will fight at a later date.”

The report is regarding the developments surrounding the UFC Seattle fight card, which will go down on March 28, with Israel Adesanya in the headliner bout. In one of the undercard matchups, heavyweight fighters Marcin Tybura and Valter Walker were set to face each other.

However, it seems the event has faced another setback with Walker pulling out of the fight. As the Brazilian’s replacement, the UFC has reportedly signed former Bellator and PFL heavyweight Tyrell Fortune. For Fortune, it comes as a big opportunity, as after leaving PFL 2024, he went back to the regional circuit.

Meanwhile, regarding the UFC, it will be a new addition to their heavyweight division, which has received intense scrutiny lately. As such, many analysts like Joe Rogan feel there is a lack of talented fighters in the division. And who’s better than a veteran boasting a record of 17-3-0 (2 NC) in professional MMA to change those perspectives?

However, the UFC has yet to confirm the signing of Fortune and his fight against Tybura as Walker’s replacement. Now, whether the 35-year-old succeeds will be another interesting tale. But signing such a veteran surely brings excitement to the heavyweight division’s future, especially after the recent firing spree.

UFC releases several promising heavyweights

The pressure on the UFC executives seemed to peak when they made some harsh decisions this year. And, two of the promising heavyweight fighters were on the receiving end of those calls.

For starters, Jailton Almeida, who entered the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, started his career with a six-fight winning streak. When Curtis Blaydes stood in front of him at UFC 299, he suffered defeat for the first time in the promotion.

Although Almeida rose back up with a two-fight winning streak, he fell short in the next two consecutive fights. Amid that, his fighting style of just pinning down his opponent also received heavy flak. And after his defeat against Rizvan Kuniev earlier this year, the UFC released Almeida.

Similarly, Kamaru Usman’s brother, Mohammed Usman, also found himself in the bad books of the UFC. However, unlike Almeida, Mohammed was released after he was levied a suspension for the usage of PEDs. While Almeida boasted a record of 8-3 in the UFC, Mohammed was 4-2 before leaving the promotion.

Prior to Almeida and Mohammed, UFC also released Marek Bujlo in December 2025. And it was right after his promotional debut fight against Denzel Freeman, where he lost via unanimous decision. Who knew that after just one opportunity, Bujlo would be cut from the UFC? Considering that Bujlo was on a six-fight winning streak before that.

Apart from that, Martin Buday was another heavyweight, who the UFC released. And interestingly, Buday boasted a 7–1 record in the promotion. Despite that, the tough decision followed.

Surely, they can be said to be promising stars. Although the UFC had its reasons to make such a call, it is quite harsh on such prospects. And now to fill those gaps in the roster, new reported signings like Tyrell Fortune are taking place in the heavyweight division.

That said, now it will be interesting to see how the division develops following these changes. On that note, do you think a signing like Fortune is a good addition? Let us know in the comments below!